Pakistani actors removed from posters of Bollywood movies

Pakistani actors who previously starred in Bollywood films have been removed from film posters on various online platforms, as anti-Pakistan sentiment intensifies in India following the recent military conflict between the two countries.

According to Indian media reports, music streaming platforms such as YouTube Music and Spotify have taken down posters featuring Pakistani actors from Indian songs and films.

The move began with actress Mawra Hocane, who was erased from all posters of her debut film Sanam Teri Kasam, including promotional materials for the film’s songs.

Her co-star, Harshvardhan Rane, publicly criticised Mawra for condemning India’s military assault on innocent civilians in Pakistan and declared that he would no longer be part of the film’s sequel.

In response, Mawra delivered a sharp rebuttal, calling his announcement a “PR stunt amid a war.”

not them removing mawra from the posters 😭 pic.twitter.com/mrYatmmCUo

— ✯ (@bekhayaIi) May 12, 2025

Other major Pakistani artists, including Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, were also removed from Bollywood posters. Fawad was excluded from the posters of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Kapoor & Sons, while Mahira was removed from Raees posters.

Following directives from the Indian government, OTT platforms and several YouTube channels had already taken down content featuring Pakistani actors and singers.

I just can't stop laughing 🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/QozIRj8I49

— 𝓜𝒶𝒽𝒶𝓂✨🇵🇰 (@SyedaaMahamm) May 12, 2025

Despite the removals, many of their songs remain available online. For instance, songs from Mahira Khan’s Raees with Shah Rukh Khan are still accessible on YouTube, although her image has been removed from posters.

The upcoming release of Abira Gulaal, starring Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor, scheduled for May 9, was put on hold. Additionally, actress Hania Aamir was reportedly dropped from Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3.