Fawad Khan-starrer movie ‘Abir Gulaal’ also stars Vaani Kapoor as the female lead and was scheduled to have hit theatres on May 9
Pakistan actor Fawad Khan-starrer Bollywood movie ‘Abir Gulaal’ won’t release in India, multiple media outlets reported today (April 24) citing sources in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The decision, the reports said, came in the midst of the nationwide outrage following the killing of 26 people — 25 of them male Hindu tourists — by Pakistani terrorists at Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon.
The film was to have hit movie theatres on May 9 and also stars Vaani Kapoor as the female lead.
Several cinema halls were not ready to screen the movie and several entertainment organisations had demanded its boycott, NDTV reported.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees, an organisation of movie artists which has been opposing Pakistani film stars, artistes and singers in Bollywood, had earlier demanded the movie’s boycott and, following the senseless killings of Hindu tourists, the organization renewed its directive for a boycott of the film.
“Despite the ongoing directive, we’ve been made aware of the recent collaboration with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan for the Hindi film, ‘Abir Gulaal’. 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,” the organisation said in a statement.
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also been opposing the film’s release.
