Twinkle Khanna Takes A Dig At Erasure Of Pak Actors Amid Indo-Pak Tensions: 'Redub Abida Parveen With...'

Twinkle Khanna reacts to Pakistani actors like Mawra Hocane and Mahira Khan, being digitally erased from film posters, calling out the absurdity with satire.

May 2025 has turned out to be a tense and politically charged month, casting its shadow even over the world of entertainment. What began with India’s strong retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack—dubbed Operation Sindoor—soon spilled over into cultural spaces, triggering a ripple effect across film and music platforms. One unexpected fallout? The erasure of several Pakistani actors from Indian film posters and streaming platforms.

Pakistani actors removed from Hindi film posters

Among the first to be impacted was Pakistani actor Mawra Hocane, known for starring opposite Harshvardhan Rane in the 2016 romantic drama Sanam Teri Kasam. After she criticised Operation Sindoor on social media—calling it “cowardly”—a war of words erupted online between her and Harshvardhan. Rane publicly distanced himself from any sequel involving her, stating he wouldn’t work with her again under any circumstances.

Shortly after, Mawra was digitally removed from the film’s poster on multiple music streaming apps. This wasn’t an isolated instance. Mahira Khan, who starred in Raees alongside Shah Rukh Khan in 2017, faced a similar fate. Her image was also edited out from online visuals of the film.

Reacting to these removals, author and former actor Twinkle Khanna commented in her Times of India column. She wrote, “After the recent re-release of Sanam Teri Kasam, I found myself hooked on the soundtrack again. While scrolling through Spotify, I noticed Mawra Hocane had mysteriously vanished from the album cover. A little more digging revealed that other Pakistani stars like Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have also been scrubbed from promotional posters online.”

In her trademark satirical style, Twinkle added, “Not wanting to be left behind in my patriotic duties, I propose we redub all of Abida Parveen and Farida Khanum’s songs with our very own Dhinchak Pooja. That would surely deliver a lesson the Pakistanis won't forget!”

The production team behind Sanam Teri Kasam 2 has since confirmed that Mawra Hocane won’t be a part of the sequel—citing both political sensitivity and narrative continuity, as her character had died in the original.

This growing divide between the two film industries reflects how art and politics are increasingly intertwined, with creative partnerships now being shaped by nationalistic sentiments and diplomatic tensions.