While Pakistani cinemas have placed a ban on Bollywood films in the wake of growing Indo-Pak tension after the Uri attack, every day brings with it a new set of updates.
While Pakistani cinemas have placed a ban on Bollywood films in the wake of growing Indo-Pak tension after the Uri attack, every day brings with it a new set of updates. The most recent is the announcement made by the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India (COEAI) which says that films featuring Pakistani artists and technicians will not be screened in Indian cinemas. This means Karan Johar’s romantic drama, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (scheduled to release on October 28) which features one Fawad Khan will not see the light of the day in territories that fall under COEAI.
However, the makers of ADHM maintain that the film will release as per its original schedule. “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil has been cleared by the censor board and we are gearing up for its release on October 28,” said Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions, the banner under which the film has been produced. “The film has got U/A certificate from the censor board. We are set for the film’s release on October 28; there can be no better way than celebrating Diwali with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a quintessential family entertainer. It (the film) is all about spreading love.”
If reports are to be believed neither Mahira Khan nor Fawad Khan will be replaced from their respective Bollywood films which are expected to release as planned by their creators.
While the MNS stopped Pakistani actors from working in India (leading to pro and anti statements from the artist community on both sides of the border), it is interesting to note that the Indian government has no intention of cancelling the visa of Pakistani artists. Despite the ongoing rift between the two countries, the Indian government doesn’t plan to stop artists from crossing borders, which is perhaps the only silver lining to emerge since this story broke.
