As tensions between India and Pakistan rise, some Pakistani actors have been digitally cut out of posters and song images of their respective Bollywood movies on music and streaming sites.
Fawad and Mahira Khan Edited Out
Fawad Khan, the actor who was seen in Kapoor & Sons, has been digitally removed from the poster of the hit song of the film, Buddhu Sa Mann. The video is no longer available on YouTube India with the message: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country.” On music streaming sites such as Spotify and YouTube Music, Fawad’s face has also been cut out from the artwork of the song.
Similarly, Mahira Khan, who starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, has been removed from the film’s album cover. The poster, which once featured both leads, now showcases only Shah Rukh Khan.
Raees and Kapoor and Sons_pic courtesy X
Other Changes and Ongoing Developments
Actress Mawra Hocane has also been removed from the album covers of her movie Sanam Teri Kasam on streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube Music. Surprisingly, the poster of Khoobsurat (2014), in which Fawad Khan shared screen space with Sonam Kapoor, is not altered yet.
These shifts come after India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ retaliatory action for the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 individuals were killed. The operation aimed at terrorist infrastructure all over Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan responded with missile and drone attacks in several Indian territories, breaching the ceasefire pact.
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Government Advisory on Pakistan-Origin Content
After these events, the Indian government issued an advisory to OTT platforms, digital media services, and intermediaries. Relying on the IT Rules of 2021, the advisory encouraged them to refrain from hosting or showing Pakistan-origin content that would have an effect on India’s sovereignty, provoke violence, or harm foreign relations.
These events are a sign of the increasing cultural and political divide between the two countries.
