New Delhi: Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan were at the Wagah border to promote their spy comedy Udta Teer when Pakistan began playing Atif Aslam’s Coke Studio rendition of ‘Tajdar-e-Haram’ at high volume, drowning out the actors’ message during the Beating Retreat ceremony.
A video of the incident is being widely circulated on social media. The actors visited the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab on 21 October to promote their upcoming spy comedy Udta Teer, which is scheduled to release in theatres on October 23.
As the actors addressed the crowd during the promotional event, the Pakistani side began playing Atif Aslam’s rendition of the popular qawwali Tajdar-e-Haram over loudspeakers. The music was loud enough to make it difficult for people to hear what the actors were saying.
Ahead of the film’s release, Nepal denied permission to screen Udta Teer, according to Bollywood Hungama. The letter reportedly stated that the film violated Nepal’s cinema laws but did not specify which scenes were considered objectionable.
Before heading to the Attari-Wagah border, Khurrana and Khan visited Sri Darbar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar to seek blessings ahead of their film’s release.
During their visit to the border, the actors attended the Beating Retreat ceremony and interacted with the crowd and security personnel. Sara Ali Khan also expressed her gratitude to the Border Security Force (BSF) in a social media post.
“Grateful and proud of our BSF jawans. Their daily strength and sacrifice provide us with safety and peace. Salute to our heroes,” she wrote.
Directed by Aakash Kaushik, the film follows a Pakistani intelligence agent who loses his memory after an accident and begins to believe that he is an Indian counterterrorism officer.
The film also features Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Suhail Nayyar, Gulshan Grover, Mukul Dev, Raghubir Yadav, Brijendra Kala, Sandeep Anand, Supriya Pilgaonkar and Smita Tambe.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)