Bollywood Bans Pakistani Actors: Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan Vanish From Song Posters

There’s a growing chill in the relationship between Bollywood and Pakistani artists, with stars like Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan now seemingly erased from posters of their Hindi films on popular music platforms. This move follows a similar removal of Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane from the album covers of her film, Sanam Teri Kasam, adding fuel to the fire of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

Raees and Kapoor & Sons: Missing Mahira and Fawad

On music apps like Spotify and YouTube Music, the posters for Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees no longer feature Mahira Khan, who starred alongside him. Similarly, Fawad Khan has been removed from the poster for Buddhu Sa Mann, a song from the film Kapoor & Sons where he appeared alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. The song itself is also unavailable in India on YouTube, with a message stating it’s not accessible in the country.

While the poster for Khoobsurat, another film starring Fawad Khan alongside Sonam Kapoor, remains unchanged, the recent edits seem to be part of a wider trend of removing Pakistani artists from Indian projects.

A Crackdown on Pakistani Artists

The situation is reminiscent of the actions taken after the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, India. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, which included a ban on Pakistani content on streaming and OTT platforms. This latest development suggests a tightening grip on the presence of Pakistani artists in the Indian film industry.

Adding to the tension, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared a paradigm shift in India’s relationship with Pakistan, stating that New Delhi will not tolerate nuclear blackmail. Modi emphasized that the air strikes on “universities of terror” in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir mark a new normal in India’s approach to counter-terrorism.

Producers React

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Deepak Mukut, the producer of Sanam Teri Kasam, claimed ignorance about Mawra Hocane’s removal, stating it was a decision made independently by the music platforms. He added, “Whatever our government says, everyone has to follow.”

Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra’s co-star in the film, commented on the situation, saying, “Now they will say that my PR team got this done! No, it’s again common sense I assume, weeding is being exercised.”