In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor has removed all promotional content related to her upcoming film Abir Gulal from social media. The film, which stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, was scheduled for release on May 9, 2025, but has now been banned in both India and Pakistan due to escalating cross-border tensions.
The removal of Abir Gulal posts from Vaani’s Instagram account comes amid growing backlash against cross-border collaborations in the film industry. While promotional materials for her other films, such as Raid 2, remain on her profile, everything related to Abir Gulal has either been deleted or archived, though the actress has yet to issue an official statement.
In a wider crackdown, the Indian government has blocked the social media accounts of numerous prominent Pakistani artists, including Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam, Sajal Ali, Hania Amir, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Their content has also been taken down from major platforms like YouTube in India, signaling a sharp cultural and digital disengagement.
This fallout has not only affected the release of Abir Gulal but also potentially derailed Fawad Khan’s return to Bollywood, which had been anticipated by fans on both sides of the border. The film’s songs and trailers have been pulled down, and no new release strategy has been announced.
As Indo-Pak relations remain strained, the entertainment industry finds itself once again at the center of a geopolitical storm, with cultural exchanges becoming collateral in the broader political conflict.