Pahalgam Attack Sparks Calls to Ban Fawad Khan’s ‘Abir Gulaal’

After Tuesday’s attack at a tourist spot in Pahalgam, held Kashmir, several Indian film bodies and social media users began calling for a boycott of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s upcoming Bollywood film Abir Gulaal.

Pakistan officially rejected Indian media’s propaganda suggesting cross-border involvement in the attack that killed 26 people. Despite this, hardliners seized the tragedy to demand not only a ban on Abir Gulaal but also a complete ban on Pakistani actors in future Indian productions.

As Abir Gulaal marks Fawad Khan’s return to Bollywood, social media users flooded platforms with criticism, questioning the continued presence of Pakistani actors in Indian cinema.

Some users drew parallels with 2016, when Fawad’s film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil released shortly before the Uri Army base attack, which killed 19 Indian soldiers and led to a cultural freeze between the two nations.

Now, nearly a decade later, Fawad is set to return with Abir Gulaal, co-starring Indian actress Vaani Kapoor. The film is scheduled for release on May 9, with promotions currently taking place in Dubai.

Though Hindu extremist groups had already opposed the film before the Pahalgam attack, the fresh wave of criticism has forced the filmmakers to continue all promotional activities outside India. So far, the production team has not announced any delay in the release.

Also Read: Fawad Khan Praises Bollywood Stars as “Talented and Genuine”