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Caught In A Political Crossfire, Fawad Khan Won't Be Returning To India To Promote 'Ae Dil'

Unfortunate.
Hindustan Times via Getty Images

In the diplomatic crossfire between India and Pakistan, that escalated at a galloping pace after the Uri attacks, Fawad Khan has become an unlikely victim.

The right-wing political outfit, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), demanded a ban on all Pakistani artists working in India and especially targetted Khan, who has a big-ticket film coming up -- Karan Johar's Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and Anushka Sharma-starrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

In return, Johar made a heartfelt plea in a televised interview where he said that filmmakers should be left alone and that banning Pakistani artistes wasn't a solution to curb hostilities between the neighbours.

While there were murmurs this afternoon that Khan has left India, HuffPost India has found out that the actor wasn't in the country in the first place.

Khan left India in the first week of July this year and hasn't returned since.

The shooting of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is complete and while he would normally have have been in the country promoting the film, closer to the release, those plans now stand stalled amidst growing threats that could potentially jeopardize his safety and could trigger a law and order situation in the city.

A spokesperson for the actor, who HuffPost spoke to, confirmed that the actor left India on 2 July and added that he won't be returning for any promotional activities.

"He is not required," said the spokesperson, without commenting further on the reasons that led to a change of plans.

While it appears that the growing uncertainty may have led to the plans being canceled, It's also likely that Khan may have chosen to remain home as his wife, Sadaf, is due to deliver their second child next month.

Despite the threats, the Mumbai police promised complete security to the makers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which is slated for a Diwali release.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.