After months of uncertainty following the India-Pakistan conflict in May, Abir Gulaal, the much-anticipated Indian film marking Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback, finally locked in its global release date at the end of last month. However, following in the footsteps of Sardaar Ji 3, the film will not be released in India, reported the Hindustan Times.

The decision to skip an Indian release comes in the wake of strained bilateral relations between the two countries after India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack in May – an accusation Pakistan repeatedly denied – and launched Operation Sindoor, to which Pakistan retaliated by launching Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. The fallout renewed the ban on Pakistani artists working in India, forcing the film to scrap its original May 9 release there. Tthe film will now premiere internationally, leaving its Indian release future uncertain. There’s no news on whether the film will get a Pakistan release as of now.