New Delhi: If the small screen comeback was for Pakistan, the big screen is reserved for India. Pakistani actor Fawad Khan keeps giving his Indian fans reasons to celebrate. Even if it is at the cost of annoying his Pakistani fans.
After releasing the much-awaited trailer of his six-episode show Barzakh, the actor is now believed to be making a Bollywood comeback after eight long years.
Filmfare has reported that Khan and Bollywood actor Vaani Kapoor are set to star together in an upcoming film. While project details remain undisclosed, the report indicates that pre-production is finished, with filming scheduled to start soon in London.
Khan’s fans across the subcontinent are ‘doubly, triply excited to see him’, but it has also pitted them against each other — Pakistanis are now debating if he should do a ‘rando Bollywood film’ at all.
Social media critics on both sides of the border are not approving of the pairing either. Pakistanis think Sonam Kapoor was the better Kapoor choice. They want #JusticeForFawad.
One X user wrote, “dude is even worse than me in making wrong life choices and decisions. I’m proud of myself after seeing this wallah”. If that wasn’t enough, in a separate tweet, they explained themselves: “Fawad Khan is coming back with Vaani Kapoor literally why??? now if I speak, this is so absurd like dude we got tons of great directors and actresses in Pakistan as well just work with them first what’s his need to go cross the border for this… isse acha sonam ko hi le lete yaar”. (It would have been better to pick Sonam instead, man)
“If anyone thinks that whatever romcom Fawad is doing with Vaani Kapoor would somehow be qualitatively better or a more artistically fulfilling endeavour than his work in Pakistan… oh boy. Like I love the man and he should take whatever opportunity presents itself but OH BOY,” another user wrote.
Also read: Ali Sethi gets ‘cancelled’ for coming out. But not all Pakistani fans see it as ‘strange’
To be or not to be– a Fawad fan
There’s no denying Khan’s fan following.
When a Pakistani Reddit user lamented why Khan keeps choosing minor roles in Bollywood movies when he can do much better work in Pakistan, an Indian was quick to counter him. “Hey, as an Indian let me tell you- we fully value Fawad. We all are doubly, triply excited to see him.”
Another wrote on X: “Fawad Khan is so beloved to Indian audiences, filmmakers, producers and co-actors 6 years after he was forced to leave that they’re willing to risk the wrath of the RW, inevitable calls for boycott, accusations of being anti-national to find a way to work with him.”
One Indian user even attributed Khan’s reported Bollywood comeback to a “strong Opposition in the Centre”. But they’re not sure if movie theatres won’t be vandalised because of Khan’s picture on the posters.
Apart from the India vs Pakistan tug of war over Khan, there is a new online discourse online: how famous is Fawad Khan in India?
If Reddit users are to be believed, his fame is “concentrated to a crore or some in urban centres. So, you’ll see fan edits on Instagram but not recognition on the streets of Ranchi.”
Those who disagree, say that Pakistan TV dramas were all the rage in India and it catapulted Khan to fame in the first place.
In all of this, Pakistanis are battling it out on X. Many of them are done with the special treatment given to the actor.
“As an ardent admirer of Fawad Khan’s craft let me be very clear some Fawad Khan’s fans should stop treating him above Pakistani industry or Pakistan. Whatever he is today is due to PAKISTANI DRAMAS and Pakistan, that he can sit at home be relevant and eat off advertisements,” wrote one user.
Ms. Debdutta is infatuated with Mr. Fawad Khan and enamoured of Pakistan. Quite unfortunately, she believes all Indians are just as infatuated/enamoured.
The Print would do a great service to the nation if it stops printing such senseless articles. Hardly anyone in India bothers about Pakistan or Pakistanis. Of course, with the exception of jingoistic BJP members and ministers (e.g. Modi).