NEW DELHI: Hindi romantic-comedy film Abir Gulal featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan will not be released in India, said Government sources.
Sources said that the decision to stay the release had been taken considering the nationwide outrage over the attack in Pahalgam that killed over 26 tourists in Kashmir.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which recently reiterated its ban on Pakistani artists, also threatened action against the filmmakers collaborating with them.
The statement cast uncertainty over the release of the movie.
The Khan and Vaani Kapoor-starrer Abir Gulaal was set to have a theatrical release on May 9.
Directed by Aarti S Bagdi, the film is produced by Indian Stories, along with A Richer Lens and Aarjay Pictures. The makers released a teaser announcing the release date of the film on Tuesday.
The ban on the movie is addendum to the stringent response-- downgrading of diplomatic ties with Pakistan including immediate suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Wagah-Attari border and cancelation of the SAARC visa exemption scheme (SVES)--to the ghastly terror attack in a popular tourist destination in south Kashmir.
On Thursday, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate and permanent ban on the film ‘Abir Gulaal’. The letter was also sent to the union minister of information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw and the chairman of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
“Releasing a film with a Pakistani actor at such a time is not art — it is a disgrace to our martyrs, an insult to national pride, and an attack on the collective conscience of India. Pakistan bans Indian films. Why should Indian screens promote Pakistani artists? AICWA also urges every member of the Indian film industry to never support or collaborate with Pakistani artists in the future. When our soldiers bleed, silence is better than sympathy for the enemy,” read a post of AICWA on ‘X’.
The Association works for the security and safety of cine workers and artists.
Earlier, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which recently reiterated its ban on Pakistani artists, also threatened action against the filmmakers collaborating with them.
"In light of the recent attack in Pahalgam, FWICE is once again compelled to issue a blanket boycott on all Pakistani artists, singers and technicians participating in any Indian film or entertainment projects. This includes performances or collaborations occurring anywhere in the world," read the statement issued by the Federation.
FWICE is an umbrella organisation of over 30 cinema associations.
As the calls to boycott the film gained momentum, Khan and Kapoor took to social media to express their condolences and condemn the attack. The lead actors of the movie said that they were deeply saddened and gutted over the terrorist attack in South Kashmir.
"Deeply saddened to hear the news of the heinous attack in Pahalgam. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this horrifying incident, and we pray for strength and healing for their families in this difficult time," Fawad Khan wrote on Instagram.
Kapoor also shared similar sentiments through a post on Instagram. "Have been numb, at a loss for words since the time I have read about the attack on innocent people in Pahalgam. Gutted. Devastated. My prayers are with the families," she wrote.