The Legend of Maula Jatt In India: Despite 'Ban', Why Is Pakistani Film Cleared For Release Here?

The Legend of Maula Jatt: The Pakistani film featuring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan is scheduled to release in India on October 2. The movie was originally released in 2022 worldwide and emerged as a huge commercial hit. Notably, the popular title will be the first feature film from Pakistan in over 10 a decade to secure a release in India. However, Fawad's period film might not be released country-wide, according to reports.

Following the Uri terror attack in 2016, a blanket ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian films and in the country was imposed. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) cited 'patriotism' and 'security' for Indian artists as the reasons for not working with Pakistanis and vice-versa. This has raised questions about the status of Pakistani films' release in India, with The Legend of Maula Jatt being in focus.

Opposition to The Legend of Maula Jatt release in Maharashtra

The announcement of The Legend of Maula Jatt release in India was met with severe backlash in the political circles. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said they will not allow the movie to be screened anywhere in the country. Raj Thackeray took to social media platform X and wrote in Marathi, “Pakistani actor named Fawad Khan's movie titled 'Legend of Maula Jat' is going to release in India soon. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not allow the movie to be released in Maharashtra under any circumstances. Why are films of Pakistani actors allowed to be released in India?”

In a long post, he further said, "And art knows no national boundaries, that's all right in other cases, but in Pakistan it won't work at all. What kind of action is being taken to bring the actors of a country that is divided on the sole issue of hatred of India, to dance here and to screen their films? Governments should not allow this film to be screened in any state of the country, let alone Maharashtra ."

MNS chief argued that the Navratri festival will begin during the time of release adding that he doesn't want any conflict to happen in Maharashtra . "And the same will not be the desire of the Chief Minister, Home Minister and Director General of Police of the state," Thackeray said. He further warned the theatre owners and mentioned, "Everyone will remember the blow given by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena when such incidents happened before. Therefore, theatre owners are now humbly requested not to fall into the predicament of screening films." Thackeray said, "It should not be forgotten that if the theatre owners who are reluctant to provide theatres for Marathi films allow Pakistani cinema to enter this land, this generosity will be costly."

Are Pakistani movies allowed to release in India?

Following the Uri terror attack in 2016, a blanket ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian films was imposed. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) cited reasons of 'patriotism' and 'security' for Indian artists not working with Pakistanis and vice-versa. It must be noted that the ban was on Pakistani movies and not artists. All films from across the border were cleared for release in India but this was disallowed due to the deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Ashoke Pandit, a producer and IMPPA member said, “IMPPA paid homage to the martyrs who were killed in Uri. It therefore felt its responsibility towards the nation and passed a resolution banning Pakistani actors and technicians in India till normalcy returns. For IMPPA, the nation comes first.”

At the time the Raj Thackeray -led- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena issued a 48-hour ultimatum for all Pakistani movie workers to leave India by September 25, 2016. The ban affected the release of Ranbir Kapoor starrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which hit big screens in Diwali of the same year and featured Fawad Khan in a prominent role.

Are Pakistani artists still banned from working in India?

In October 2023, the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking a complete ban on artists from Pakistan from performing or working in India and observed that to be a patriot, one does not need to be inimical to those from abroad, especially from the neighbouring country. A division bench of Justices Sunil Shukre and Firdosh Pooniwalla on October 17 dismissed the petition filed by one Faaiz Anwar Qureshi, who claims to be a cine worker and artist.

The petition sought the court’s direction to the Union government to impose a complete ban on Indian citizens, companies, firms and associations from employing or soliciting any work or performance, taking of any services, or entering into any association and so on with any Pakistani artists, including its cine workers, singers, musicians, lyricists and technicians.

The court dismissed the petition saying the reliefs it seeks are a retrograde step in promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace, and have no merit in it. “One must understand that in order to be a patriot, one need not be inimical to those from abroad especially, from the neighbouring country,” the court said. “A true patriot is a person who is selfless, who is devoted to the cause of his country, which he cannot be unless he is a person who is good at heart. A person who is good at heart would welcome in his country any activity which promotes peace, harmony, and tranquillity within the country and across the border,” it said.

The petitioner also sought other directions like prohibiting the granting of visas to Pakistani artists and penal action in case of non-compliance with the ban. Qureshi in his plea said since the Pakistan cricket team is presently playing in India for the World Cup there is an apprehension that people may misuse this sports event to invite Pakistani singers and artists which would in turn threaten the job opportunities of Indian artists.

The bench, however, said it did not find any merit in the petitioner’s apprehension and idea of patriotism. It added that courts cannot pass orders directing the government to frame a law or policy.

Are Indian films banned in Pakistan ?

In 2019, as a response to India's airstrike on the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan 's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, information minister of the country Fawad Chaudhry declared a total ban on Indian films. Since then, no Indian films have been released in Pakistan. Despite India lifting the ban on the artists in 2023, Pakistan has yet to do the same.

The Legend of Maula Jatt: Fawad Khan-Mahira Khan's association with Bollywood

Coming back to The Legend of Maula Jatt, the lead actors of the film Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have already worked in Bollywood. Fawad has featured in several blockbuster films such as Kapoor & Sons, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Khoobsurat, while Mahira played the female lead in the film Raees. Apart from the duo, actor Ali Zafar and singer Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan have positively contributed to the Hindi film industry as playback singers and on-camera artists.

(With inputs from PTI)