New Delhi: Fawad Khan’s long-awaited Bollywood comeback has landed in the middle of yet another subcontinental showdown—this time, after the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. But Pakistanis are divided over the fate of Khan and his film Abir Gulaal, in which he stars opposite Vaani Kapoor. While some say he deserves the backlash for turning his back on the Pakistani film industry, others are more sympathetic: “Man just has the worst luck ever.”
“Whenever Fawad Khan stars in a Bollywood movie, the whole subcontinent catches fire. Man’s filmography has more geopolitical plot twists than actual films,” Pakistani activist Mona Farooq Ahmad wrote on X.
Others were quick to draw parallels with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Abir Gulaal was scheduled for release on 9 May—the same date in 2023 when protests erupted across Pakistan following Imran Khan’s arrest. What began as PTI-led demonstrations soon turned violent nationwide.
“Fawad Khan’s 9th May,” one Pakistani citizen commented, adding crying emojis.
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Karma, wake-up call
By and large, Pakistanis are rejoicing in the fallout. Some have called it “karma”, while others urged the actor to treat it as a wake-up call
“Indians calling for a ban on Fawad Khan’s movie is honestly satisfying to watch,” read a post on X. “He deserves all the hate for having no self-respect and still being desperate to work there despite their constant hatred toward Muslims and Pakistanis.”
This anti-Fawad Khan sentiment isn’t new. Fans-turned-critics accuse the actor of ghosting Pakistan’s small-screen entertainment industry at the height of his career. They believe he wasted his peak years “rotting in his house” because he considered PTV beneath him. Now, Gen Z doesn’t even care.
They don’t spare their beloved Hania Amir either. One user described Fawad Khan and Hania as freeloaders and imagined them receiving eviction notices from Bollywood.
Another referenced a popular meme: “Hania Aamir aur Fawad Khan nay surf kha liya hai.”
And while Fawad faces boycott calls in India, Pakistanis are also rejecting him. If anything, they want him kicked out of Bollywood.
“Fawad Khan isn’t unlucky. He deserves this. Last time he had our support…This time, we are celebrating his downfall. It’s a difference. We made him a star,” said a disgruntled fan. “He could have taken our industry to another level.”
Even the actor’s sudden political activism on Instagram—coincidentally timed with his film’s promo cycle—hasn’t impressed anyone.
“Tell my boy Indians are already calling to boycott ‘abir gulaal’. This will not save his a**,” read one tweet. Another Pakistani user on X pointed to his “radio silence” on the Balochistan attacks.
One user summed it up: Fawad Khan is caught in the crossfire.
“Indians blaming Pakistan for everything and Pakistanis blaming—*checks notes*—Fawad Khan?”
Every single Pakistani must be kicked out of Bollywood and other Indian film industries. Also, any Indian artist collaborating with a Pakistani artist must be immediately boycotted.