Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor's 'Abir Gulaal' set for global release on August 29 - Reports

After much delay and controversy over the release of Fawad Khan's Bollywood comeback film 'Abir Gulaal', the film is finally set for its release.

Originally scheduled to hit theatres on May 9, reports on Biz Asia state that the movie, renamed 'Aabeer Gulaal', is slated for a global theatrical release on August 29.

While the report does not specify any plans for release in India, industry insiders believe that, given the prevailing backlash against Pakistani artists, the film is unlikely to be officially released in the Indian market.

The film's release in India was halted following the tragic Pahalgam attack on April 22. There was strong opposition within the industry toward Pakistani artists working in the Indian film industry. This backlash led to the film’s release being postponed indefinitely, raising concerns that it might never debut.

Following the successful overseas film model
An industry insider revealed to the portal that the makers of Abir Gulaal intend to take the same approach as 'Sardaar Ji 3'. That film, starring Diljit Dosanjh, wasn’t released in India due to the presence of Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, yet it achieved impressive box office success internationally.

Likewise, 'Chal Mera Putt 4', another Punjabi movie, was launched only outside India and turned out to be a big hit.

Whether 'Abir Gulaal' will follow the same path and succeed overseas remains to be seen.

Promotions halted after Pahalgam attack
Prior to the Pahalgam attack, the promotional activities for 'Abir Gulaal' were progressing actively. The film’s music launch took place on April 19 at Dubai’s Global Village and was warmly received by both fans and media.
However, the situation took a drastic turn after the attack, and just two days later, the audio company Saregama decided to pull the film’s songs from circulation.