Following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and the subsequent Operation Sindoor by India targeting terror camps in Pakistan, the entertainment industry has been impacted amid rising tensions along the border.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory asking streaming platforms to stop hosting content that originates in Pakistan.
"In the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect," the advisory stated.
A quick search shows that major OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Zee5 and JioCinema currently do not host any Pakistani content.
Earlier, shows like Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Humsafar were available on Netflix but have since been removed. Zee Zindagi, known for streaming Pakistani originals in the past, has also taken down such titles from its catalogue. The much-awaited show Barzakh, starring Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, has also been removed from ZEE5.
A source close to the channel told India Today that the content was removed before any formal advisory was issued, as a precautionary measure to avoid controversy.
Even before Operation Sindoor, YouTube had blocked Pakistani entertainment channels such as Hum TV and ARY Digital in India.
Sixteen other channels were also banned for allegedly spreading misinformation. However, Pakistani music content like Coke Studio Pakistan and songs by individual artists are still accessible.
A trade source said the advisory came into effect only on Thursday evening and will take time to be fully enforced. "Also, it said that content which had its origins in Pakistan, but a lot of content by Pakistani artists has also been produced in India. So there is no clarity around the same. Coke is a global brand, so we still don't know if Coke Studio falls into the Pakistan-originated content. As time passes, we will have better clarity," they said.
