NEW DELHI – After nearly a decade away from the Indian big screen, Pakistani actor and singer Fawad Khan was supposed to make his grand return to Bollywood on Friday with his new film ‘Abir Gulaal’, a move cheered by fans in the cinema-mad country. Then the India-Pakistan conflict escalated this week. Now, the movie appears to be largely unavailable in the country on the day of its scheduled release. Though the movie is listed on BookMyShow, one of the largest ticket sellers in India, the website on Friday said there were ‘no watch options.’ Local media had also reported this week that the film will not hit cinemas Friday as planned. Khan has not publicly commented on the matter. While Pakistani and Indian performers have a long and storied history of collaboration, that came to an abrupt halt nine years ago after dozens of Indian soldiers were killed in a militant attack in the disputed Kashmir region. Much like last month’s attack, India blamed Pakistan, and deadly clashes ensued along their contested border. Khan has a huge following in India, and has appeared in Indian films in the past. But he, too, disappeared from Indian media and platforms after the 2016 attack. Meanwhile, Pakistan has largely restricted Indian films from release in the country since then. The announcement of his planned return had been celebrated by Bollywood fans, with many expressing excitement and praising film as a medium to connect people across borders. But it also received strong criticism from right-wing politicians who vowed to block its release.
