After months of uncertainty following the India-Pakistan conflict in May, Abir Gulaal, the much-anticipated Indian film marking Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback, has finally locked in its global release date for August 29.
However, following in the footsteps of Sardaar Ji 3, the film will not be released in India, reported the Hindustan Times.
The decision to skip an Indian release comes in the wake of strained bilateral relations between the two countries after India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack in May — an accusation Pakistan repeatedly denied — and launched Operation Sindoor, to which Pakistan retaliated by launching Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos.
The fallout renewed the ban on Pakistani artists working in India, forcing the film to scrap its original May 9 release there.
This development was especially bittersweet for fans, given Abir Gulaal marked Khan’s first Indian film in nine years. The teaser and songs had received a warm response across the border before the political climate shifted, prompting loud boycott calls from Indian audiences and commentators.
Vani Kapoor, who stars opposite Khan in the film and faced heavy online criticism for her association with the project, addressed the backlash during a recent media appearance. “There’s so much toxicity and hate… I keep hearing ‘boycott this one, cancel that one.’ Mat karo yaar (don’t do this), have room and let people be,” she said, according to the Hindustan Times.
Her co-star, Ridhi Dogra, also part of the ensemble cast, shared that she signed the project during a time of relative calm between the two nations. “I followed all the laws. Today, I stand by my country and our armed forces, but don’t bully me for something that was legal then,” she stated.
Directed by Aarti S Bagadi, Abir Gulaal follows “two wounded souls, brought together by chance, who find solace in each other’s company and gradually develop a profound connection that blossoms into love.” Alongside Khan and Kapoor, the cast includes Lisa Haydon, Farida Jalal, Soni Razdan, Parmeet Sethi and Rahul Vohra.
Produced by Rakesh Sippy, Firuzi Khan and Vivek Aggarwal, the film will now premiere internationally, leaving its Indian release future uncertain.
For fans eager to see Khan back on the big screen, the wait is finally over — at least for those outside India and Pakistan, since there’s no news on whether the film will get a Pakistan release either. The screening of Indian films is also banned in Pakistan, but some films — such as those produced outside of India, such as the recent Sardaar Ji 3 — are allowed to screen.