In the aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, the production house behind the film Abir Gulaal has removed all songs featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan from its official YouTube channel. The film, which also stars Indian actress Vaani Kapoor, was originally slated for release on May 9 but has since been banned from release in India.
As reported earlier by The Indian Express, Abir Gulaal will not be screened in India due to the escalating diplomatic and cultural fallout from the attack.
The film was set to mark Fawad Khan’s return to Bollywood after several years. He had previously starred in Hindi films such as Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Khoobsurat, and Kapoor & Sons, but was barred from working in Indian cinema following the 2016 Uri attack, alongside other Pakistani artists.
According to Indian media outlets, two tracks from the film — the romantic ballad Khudaya Ishq and the high-energy dance number Angreji Rangrasiya — were taken down by the production company, A Richer Lens Entertainment. In addition, the music label Saregama also removed the songs from its official YouTube channel amid increasing pressure from far-right nationalist groups.
The film’s third track, Tain Tain, was scheduled for release this week but has not yet been published, with no formal update from the producers.