The release of a highly anticipated Pakistani film has been postponed in India after officials in Delhi denied permission for its screening, as reported by the BBC.
A remake of a 1979 Punjabi film, The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest-grossing film in Pakistan.
The movie was scheduled to premiere in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Wednesday, marking the first time a Pakistani film would be shown in Indian cinemas in over a decade.
The cultural exchanges between the South Asian neighbors are often impacted by their strained relationship.
On Wednesday, a source associated with Zee Studios, the film’s distributor in India, confirmed to the BBC that its release had been indefinitely stalled following the information and broadcasting ministry’s refusal to grant permission.
The reasons for the film’s delay are not immediately clear, and the BBC has reached out to the ministry for clarification.
Featuring Pakistan’s top stars, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, the 2022 film narrates the tale of a local folk hero confronting the leader of a rival clan.
Originally slated for release in India in 2022, the film’s screening was postponed indefinitely until last month, when its director Bilal Lashari announced it would soon be available in Indian theaters.
“Two years in, and still house full on weekends in Pakistan! Now, I can’t wait for our Punjabi audience in India to experience the magic of this labour of love!” he wrote on Instagram.
However, the news has led to protests in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, where the regional Maharashtra Navnirman Sena political party declared it would not permit the film’s release “under any circumstances.” Mumbai, located in this state, is the heart of Bollywood, India’s largest film industry.
In light of these tensions, Zee Studios opted to restrict the film’s release to Punjab, a state that shares a border and linguistic ties with Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Despite their strained relations, India and Pakistan have traditionally had a deep appreciation for each other’s arts and culture.
Films and web series produced in both countries are widely consumed across the border. Bollywood and Punjabi movies are particularly popular in Pakistan, while Pakistani series enjoy significant viewership in India.
Artists from both nations also have a history of collaborating on film and music projects. However, such partnerships came to an end when Bollywood stopped working with Pakistani actors in 2016, and Pakistan banned Indian films in 2019 due to military tensions.
Recently, a few Punjabi films from India have been screened in Pakistan.
In 2023, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition that sought a complete ban on Pakistani performers, urging the petitioners not to be “so narrow-minded.”
Encouraged by this slight thaw in relations and Maula Jatt’s global success, the filmmakers hoped the folk drama would resonate with Indian audiences.
The leading actors of Maula Jatt are well-known in India for their roles in popular Pakistani dramas and have previously starred in high-budget Bollywood films.