Fawad Khan’s The Legend of Maula Jatt's release stalled in India. Here’s why

Zee Studios was all set to launch Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s film The Legend Of Maula Jatt, which was slated to hit the big screens in India on December 30. Despite being cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification merely a week ago, the statutory film-certification body has now indefinitely stalled the release of the Pakistani film in India.

A source close to the development recently revealed that despite Zee Studios acquiring a clearance for The Legend Of Maula Jatt from the CBFC, the film was recalled on Monday and the clearance was revoked, for reasons that are not yet clear. Thus, the scheduled release of the film on December 30 has been postponed until further notice.

It was earlier reported that the Fawad Khan-starrer would initially be released in the Delhi and Punjab region. Depending on how the film performs in the two regions, a call was to be taken on releasing it in other parts of the country,   with limited screenings in  Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

It should be recalled that  the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) initiated a ban on Pakistani actors and artistes in India in 2019, following the Pulwama attack. This is why there was a  controversy around the  release of Fawad's recent  film in India.

Fawad Khan rose to fame in India with his Bollywood debut, “Khoobsurat” and is known for his roles in other Hindi films, such as “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and “Kapoor and Sons.” However, according to reports, he was  made to feel unwelcome in Bollywood after tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. .

The Legend Of Maula Jatt  is a remake of the 1979 cult classic Maula Jatt, and stars Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira Khan and Humaima Malick in lead roles.