Abeer Gulaal star Fawad Khan had apologised to Indian fans; Pakistani actor said sorry because...

Anyone who follows Bollywood knows that the fanbase of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is unmatched in the Indian cinema. He had made a home in the hearts, minds, and souls of unnumbered Indians back in 2014 with his famous Pakistani drama, Zindagi Gulzar Hai. After that, the actor has worked on multiple projects that have made people fall for his charm and acting. He starred in Khoobsorat, parallel to Sonam Kapoor, marking his entry into the glamorous world of Bollywood. His work in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Kapoor & Sons made his way into the hearts of people. However, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was the last time we saw the actor on the big screen in India.

What had happened?

The film, directed by KJo, got stuck in a lot of controversies amidst the Uri attack in 2016. A producers body in Mumbai passed a resolution, banning any Pakistani actor from working in Indian films. Soon after, as retaliation, Pakistani theaters stopped broadcasting Indian films on their big screens.

The ban on Pakistani actors working in Bollywood was focused upon more recently, following the terror attack that took place in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. Due to the same, Fawad Khan's upcoming film with Sonam Kapoor, Aabeer Gulaal, failed to get released in India. The film was globally released on May 9, and there were speculations about it being released in India by the end of September. But PIB recently clarified that those speculations and reports are not true. Diljit Dosanjh's upcoming film Sardaar Ji 3 also went through the same thing, which had Hania Aamir in its lead role.

Fawad Khan's old interview

Aabeer Gulaal has been released internationally, though now there is no evidence of a possibility of the same in India. During this situation, an older interview of Fawad Khan has resurfaced, where Fawad Khan apologizes to his Indian fans for making them wait.

"I have always been very thankful to fans who have waited for me, and I apologize for making them wait for so long. But it was not in my hands. I'm a firm believer that everything has its own time... You say that 'absence makes the heart grow fonder,' but we also have another saying, 'Aankh ojhal, pahaad ojhal' (out of sight, out of mind). This also happens," Fawad Khan declared to PTI.

The actor had said that the upcoming time would be very interesting, probably hinting at Aabeer Gulaal.

He claimed, "If you are waiting for my work, there is a lot that's going to come out next year. I feel that everything should happen at its own pace and in a good environment... Hopefully, 2025 will have a lot more content coming from my end."

Film's release in India

There were some reports that had claimed that the movie was going to be released on September 26; however, PIB had taken to X to clarify that those reports were false. As of now, after PIB's declaration, there have been no official statements about the release of the film. It is still not clear if the film will be released in India or not, but it is clear that the Pakistani actor has made a home in the hearts of millions of Indians, if not more.