Nine years after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is set to return to Bollywood with Abir Gulaal, co-starring Vaani Kapoor. But not everyone is rolling out the red carpet. Khan’s comeback has ignited fresh controversy, with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and film industry representatives vowing to block the film’s release in India.

MNS city chief Sandeep Deshpande issued a strong warning: “Our stand is clear. We will not entertain any movie featuring Pakistani artists. If such a film is released, we will agitate the MNS way.” Meanwhile, party spokesperson Ameya Khopkar took to X (formerly Twitter) to double down on the party’s position, stating, “We just found out about this film’s release today, but we are making it clear—we will not allow it to release in Maharashtra.”

The controversy isn’t limited to MNS. Several film federation heads and national security experts have also voiced strong objections.

Ashoke Pandit, president of the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association, slammed the decision to cast Khan. “We are still facing attacks from Pakistan. This is insensitive on the part of certain people in this industry. If they continue supporting Pakistani artists, we will ensure they face a backlash. While we can’t take legal action, we are contemplating a non-cooperation diktat against those involved in this film, including Vaani Kapoor.”

Abhijit Iyer Mitra, a senior fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, dismissed the move as a deliberate ploy for controversy. “The producers knew exactly what they were doing. Bringing in a Pakistani actor at this time was bound to cause an uproar.”

Retired army officer Major Gaurav Arya criticized Bollywood’s apparent indifference to national security concerns. “With ongoing terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has caused immense damage to India. By casting Fawad Khan, Bollywood is essentially telling our soldiers, ‘Your lives don’t matter.’”

BN Tiwari, president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, reiterated the industry’s opposition to Pakistani artistes. “We have nothing personal against Fawad Khan, but we do have a problem with Pakistani actors. We strongly oppose this film, and if Indian artists work with them, we will take action against them.”

As the backlash intensifies, neither producer Vivek B Agrawal nor Vaani Kapoor’s team has responded to the controversy. With political and industry resistance mounting, Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback is already facing an uphill battle.