Pakistani star Fawad Khan's popularity in India is undeniable. He made a place in the hearts of millions of Indians back in 2014 with his superhit Pakistani drama serial Zindagi Gulzar Hai, also starring Sanam Saeed.
And when Fawad Khan arrived in Bollywood with Khoobsurat, fronted by Sonam Kapoor, we all know whose khoobsurati we all fell for. With his performances in Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, he warmed many more hearts.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, however, became his last appearance in Hindi films. The Karan Johar film briefly ran into trouble following the 2016 Uri attack. A producers' body in Mumbai passed a resolution banning Pakistanis from working in Indian films and in retaliation, Pakistani theatre owners decided to stop screening Indian films.
Since then there has been a ban on Pakistani artists from working in the Indian film industry, a call that intensified after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, following which Fawad Khan-starrer Aabeer Gulaal missed its May 9 release date in Indian theatres. Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar Ji 3, which also featured Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in a key role, also faced the same fate, only releasing overseas.
Aabeer Gulaal, also starring Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was released globally on Friday (September 12) and unconfirmed reports state that the film will hit Indian cinemas on September 26.
Here's a throwback to when Fawad Khan apologised to his Indian admirers for making them wait for far too long. Last year, the Pakistani heart-throb starred in the supernatural series Barzakh, which streamed in India on ZEE5.
"I have always been very thankful to fans who have waited for me and I apologise 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 told PTI.
The coming time is going to be very interesting, the actor said, perhaps hinting at Aabeer Gulaal.
"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," he said.
With streaming space opening up more cross-culture collaborations, Fawad said "these are exciting times for artists".
"I have always been open to collaborations wherever they may come from. I have a hunger as an artist. We are very fortunate that we are a part of an industry that allows us to be exposed to one another's cultures.
"(It's) an education you have while having fun working. It is not just about the script because people come to a project with different backgrounds so we have the luxury of getting to know and see the world in a different way and at our own pace... So that hunger of mine gets rewarded in that process," he added.
In the same interview, Fawad Khan recalled meeting actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar on the set of the Marvel Studio series Ms Marvel, in which they starred.
"It was very nice to be in touch again. We had earlier met briefly during my time in India," he said.
At the time, the Maula Jatt star also spoke about watching Manoj Bajpayee's The Family Man and called it "attention grabbing".
Also Read | Aabeer Gulaal Director Shares Fawad Khan-Vaani Kapoor's Film Trailer On Instagram, Confirms New Release Date