Aamir Khan says he made the first anti-Pakistan movie on backlash from Hindu right wing

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said that he chose not to release his blockbuster film Dangal in Pakistan, despite the potential financial losses, after the country’s censor board demanded the removal of the Indian national flag and anthem from the film. 

However, the film was never released in Pakistan, a decision Aamir openly discussed during an interview, where he stated that Pakistan’s censor board demanded the removal of the Indian national flag and anthem from Dangal after Geeta Phogat’s victory scene, threatening to block the film’s release otherwise. 

“I told Disney in just one second that our film will not release in Pakistan,” Aamir said. He emphasised, “Anyone who tells us to remove our Indian flag and national anthem, I have nothing to do with them. I don’t want that business.”

The actor also addressed accusations from some factors who blame him and other Khans—Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan—for not publicly condemning Pakistan following recent tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack. 

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Aamir defended himself by citing his 1999 film Sarfarosh, which was the first Indian film to explicitly name Pakistan and the ISI rather than using vague terms like “neighbouring country” or “padosi mulk” (neighbouring nation).

He recalled that when director John Mathew Matthan feared the censor board would reject Sarfarosh for naming Pakistan and ISI, he was confident they could justify it. 

“When Advani ji can call their name in Parliament publicly for spreading terrorism, then why can’t we?” he said, referring to former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani’s public naming of Pakistan in official forums.

His bold stance paved the way for future films to openly reference Pakistan. “People say I don’t speak against them, but I was the first to take their name. After Sarfarosh, I received many negative comments from Pakistan,” Aamir concluded.