Set to make his Bollywood return with Abir Gulaal alongside Vaani Kapoor, superstar Fawad Khan has become the newest victim of India’s right-wing fury machine.
President of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), veteran director Ashoke Pandit threatened “protests” against Khan’s comeback.
Citing the unofficial “ban” on working with Pakistani musicians, Pandit attacked Indian actors and filmmakers engaged with Pakistani stars in a recent interview with IANS. He said that Pakistani participation in the Indian cinema sector “disrespectful to the nation’s interests.”
To support his demand for mass demonstrations against art and artists, he later recycled the assertion that no Pakistani artist had ever denounced attacks on Indian territory.
Pandit stated, trying to mobilize nationalist fervor against Abir Gulaal, “if you believe you are above national sentiment, then it’s essential that there be consequences.”
According to him, the “entire nation will react” with little thought given to the cultural interaction that formerly thrived between the two surrounding countries.
Pandit’s remarks coincide with a period of significant increase in anti-Muslim discourse, particularly in the entertainment sector – following the publication of Chaava, riots broke out all over India motivated by religious tensions.
Pandit’s comments fan an already explosive fire under the cover of nationalism, inciting hate.
This is not an isolated incident; Pandit has not only objected to the film’s release once. He had informed India Today that following the 2019 Pulwama attack, industry federations have kept a non-cooperative posture against Pakistani artists.
Furthermore, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena immediately objected to the film’s release in Maharashtra when Abir Gulaal’s teaser was leaked, with an MNS spokesman claiming that his party would not let the film to be shown in the state due of a Pakistani actor’s involvement.
Officially, nevertheless, Pakistani actors in India are not banned by any authority. The Bombay High Court denied a suit calling for a 2023 ban, but the lack of a clear policy has let leaders like Pandit to take advantage of this uncertainty to propagate anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim attitudes.
For his performances in Khoobsurat (2014) and Kapoor & Sons (2016), Khan has received much praise in India. Notwithstanding right-wing attempts to discount his contributions to Bollywood, his acting ability and great fan following are indisputable.
Even the politically neutral movie The Legend of Maula Jatt was stopped from airing in India after a right-wing party protested to it.
Pandit’s attempt to generate nationalist frenzy over Abir Gulaal follows a well-known pattern: one whereby artists are singled out to support a more expansive political narrative. Pandit is not only presenting his own opinions as facts but also encouraging hate in an already volatile environment by showing Khan’s comeback as a “threat” to Indian spirit.
Although big film companies like the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPA) and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have in the past discouraged cooperation with Pakistani artists, there is no legal ban against such relationships.
Notwithstanding this, the sector has mainly remained mute in response to right-wing harassment. The resistance to challenge leaders such as Pandit shows Bollywood’s increasing compliance to strong nationalist movements, therefore exposing artists to arbitrary bans and demonstrations.
Abir Gulaal still has a release date of May 9. We want it to have a flawless running at the box office.
