The upcoming Bollywood film ‘Abir Gulaal’, starring Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor, has landed in controversy as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has vowed to block its release.
The regional political party opposes the casting of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, claiming it violates a 2016 agreement reached between the Producers’ Guild, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and MNS president Raj Thackeray.
Ameya Khopkar, head of the MNS Chitrapat Wing, spoke to the media, reaffirming the party’s position against Pakistani artists.
“We have been protesting against this film, against Pakistani artists and Pakistani films. And we will continue to do so. No film will be released here featuring Pakistani artists. And there is no need to release it.”
Challenging the makers, he added:
“I just want to say, show the courage to release it. In 2016, we had a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Raj Thackeray was also there.”
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Following tensions between India and Pakistan in 2016, MNS imposed an unofficial ban on Pakistani artists in Bollywood. The Producers’ Guild and Maharashtra’s political leadership agreed to refrain from casting Pakistani actors in future projects.
Now, with ‘Abir Gulaal’ featuring Fawad Khan, MNS is pushing back, renewing its stance against Pakistani talent in the Indian film industry.
With tensions rising, the fate of ‘Abir Gulaal’ remains uncertain, as producers await further developments.
