On April 22, 2025, a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 26 people - 25 tourists and 1 local person. The attack sent shockwaves through the country.
PTI
In the aftermath of the attack, Abir Gulaal, a film starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, has been banned from releasing in India.
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Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor's Abir Gulaal, which was set to release on May 9, is caught in the middle of this storm.
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Boycott calls for Abir Gulaal began even before the attack, as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, strongly opposed its release. The teaser of the film dropped on April 1.
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The situation escalated after the attack, as on April 23, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), an organisation of movie artists, called for a ban on the movie.
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Sources in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told NDTV that Abir Gulaal will not be released in India.
IMDb
Following the Pahalgam attack, Fawad Khan posted a story on Instagram expressing his grief. He said that his thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims.
Instagram/fawadkhan81
After the attack, the hashtag #BoycottAbirGulaal began trending on social media. This isn't the first time Fawad Khan has found himself in the middle of a controversy. He had earlier faced backlash for Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
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Abir Gulaal songs Khudaya Ishq and Angreji Rangrasiya, earlier uploaded on the production's official and Saregama YouTube channels, have also been taken down. The song Tain Tain, earlier announced for release on Wednesday, was cancelled.
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