Pahalgam attack: Vaani Kapoor’s ‘Abir Gulaal’ posts disappear amid ban on Pakistani artistes

In the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, India has tightened its digital and cultural stance against Pakistani artistes.

One of the major ripple effects has reached Bollywood, as actress Vaani Kapoor’s Instagram posts promoting her upcoming film Abir Gulaal have mysteriously disappeared from her feed—leading to widespread speculation.

Posts Not Deleted by Vaani Kapoor

The vanishing content led many to believe that Kapoor had distanced herself from Abir Gulaal, a romantic comedy co-starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. 

However, sources confirm that the posts were not manually deleted by the actress. Instead, the disappearance is the result of Instagram's geo-blocking mechanism triggered by Indian government directives.

Many of Kapoor’s promotional posts were shared as Instagram collabs with Fawad Khan. Due to the current ban on several Pakistani personalities’ social media content in India, all shared posts featuring Khan are now hidden from Indian users. However, these posts remain visible to users outside India.

Ban on Film and Content

Abir Gulaal, originally scheduled to release on May 9, 2025, has reportedly been banned in India following the Pahalgam attack. Along with social media posts, songs and teaser videos from the film have also been removed from Indian YouTube servers.

Wider Restrictions on Pakistani Artistes

The Indian government has also restricted access to the Instagram profiles of several high-profile Pakistani celebrities, including Fawad Khan, Bilal Abbas, Atif Aslam, and Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Attempting to access these profiles in India now shows a message stating that the content has been blocked due to legal requests.

Background: Pahalgam Attack

The ban follows a brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, where militants targeted tourists, reportedly asking their names and religion before opening fire. The attack left 26 people dead, including a Nepali tourist. Survivors were told to recount the horrors to the Indian government, highlighting the premeditated brutality of the ambush.