In a surprising turn of events, all promotional posts related to the upcoming Indo-Pakistani romantic comedy film Abir Gulal have mysteriously vanished from Indian actress Vaani Kapoor’s official Instagram account. The film, which stars popular Pakistani actor Fawad Khan opposite Kapoor, has garnered significant attention due to its cross-border casting and the political sensitivities surrounding cultural collaboration between India and Pakistan.
The sudden disappearance of the promotional content has ignited speculation on social media and among fans, raising questions about whether Vaani Kapoor has distanced herself from the film or if external digital restrictions are at play.
Background: A Cross-Border Collaboration That Sparked Interest
Abir Gulal, scheduled to release on May 9, 2025, is a romantic comedy film that brought together Vaani Kapoor and Fawad Khan for the first time on-screen. This pairing instantly drew massive attention from fans in both India and Pakistan, with promotional campaigns rolling out actively on social media throughout April 2025.
The film is produced by a reputed Indian production house and was being touted as a potential step forward in reviving cultural exchanges between the two South Asian nations. The movie’s storyline reportedly revolves around love, cultural conflict, and finding common ground between two individuals from different backgrounds—an apparent metaphor for the real-life India-Pakistan dynamic.
Vaani Kapoor had enthusiastically participated in the film’s promotions, sharing posters, behind-the-scenes clips, and collaborative photoshoots with Fawad Khan across her social media platforms, particularly Instagram.
The Disappearance: Sudden and Unexplained
In the first week of May 2025, social media users began to notice that all Abir Gulal-related content had vanished from Vaani Kapoor’s Instagram account. These posts, once prominently featured, were now nowhere to be found. The disappearance was sudden and without any public explanation from Kapoor or her team.
The incident triggered a wave of speculation on social media platforms, with hashtags like #AbirGulal, #VaaniKapoor, and #FawadKhan trending in both India and Pakistan. Some users theorized that Kapoor had chosen to distance herself from the film due to rising political tensions, while others believed it to be a technical or policy-related issue.
The Pahalgam Incident and Rising Digital Censorship
The backdrop to this development is the recent incident in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which has once again heightened political and nationalistic sentiments in India. Following the incident, there has been a visible crackdown on Pakistani content and artists across Indian digital platforms.
In response to escalating tensions, several Pakistani social media accounts—including that of Fawad Khan—have reportedly been restricted or blocked within India. According to digital rights activists, Indian authorities and private platforms have started enforcing content-level restrictions that prevent visibility of Pakistani-linked profiles and media.
As a result of this geo-blocking and digital censorship, any Instagram posts by Indian users that directly tag or mention a blocked account like Fawad Khan’s are automatically removed or hidden within the Indian digital space.
Clarification: Vaani Kapoor Did Not Delete the Posts Herself
Contrary to rumors, reliable sources close to Vaani Kapoor have clarified that the actress did not manually delete any of the Abir Gulal promotional posts. Instead, the disappearance is a consequence of Instagram’s algorithm and the current geo-restrictions placed on Fawad Khan’s account in India.
Interestingly, users accessing Instagram from outside India can still view the same promotional posts on Kapoor’s profile. This further supports the claim that the content has only been hidden or rendered invisible within India due to regional digital policies, and not because of any deliberate action on Kapoor’s part.
This nuance has been overlooked in much of the early commentary, leading to misinformed conclusions about Kapoor’s alleged disassociation from the film.
The Impact on Abir Gulal’s Promotion and Release
With just days left until the film’s official release, this digital setback could significantly affect Abir Gulal’s visibility and reach in the Indian market. Promotional campaigns often rely heavily on social media engagement, and Instagram remains a key platform for film stars to build anticipation and connect with fans.
The absence of key promotional content from one of the film’s lead actors is a major blow, especially considering the growing interest in Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback. The Pakistani actor had not appeared in an Indian film for several years due to a freeze in cross-border artistic collaborations following the Uri attack in 2016.
The producers of Abir Gulal have not issued any official statement yet regarding the disappearance of the promotional material or whether it will affect the film’s marketing strategy ahead of its release.
Digital Crackdowns on Pakistani Artists: A Growing Trend
The Abir Gulal episode highlights a broader trend of digital censorship against Pakistani artists in India, a pattern that has intensified in recent years. Even as some private production houses and individual artists advocate for peaceful artistic collaboration, nationalistic pressures and policy decisions often stifle such initiatives.
Fawad Khan is among the most prominent Pakistani celebrities who once enjoyed significant popularity in India, having worked in films like Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. However, after political tensions flared in 2016, several Indian industry associations unofficially banned collaboration with Pakistani artists.
Despite this, Khan remained a popular figure among Indian fans, and his return to Bollywood with Abir Gulal was being seen as a potential milestone for resuming creative ties.
Fan Reactions and Social Media Buzz
The vanishing posts have triggered strong reactions from fans across both countries. Many Indian fans have expressed disappointment at the politicization of art and questioned why digital platforms should interfere with creative content. Pakistani fans, on the other hand, have voiced support for Fawad Khan and criticized what they see as discriminatory practices.
Some social media users have also pointed out the double standards of allowing cultural imports from other countries while restricting collaboration with neighboring Pakistan purely for political reasons.
Calls have grown for Instagram and other social media platforms to issue clearer communication on how regional censorship works, as users remain confused about why certain posts appear differently in different locations.
Conclusion: Art Amid Tensions
The sudden disappearance of Abir Gulal’s promotional content from Vaani Kapoor’s Instagram highlights the fragile nature of artistic collaboration in politically sensitive climates like India and Pakistan. While the film itself remains scheduled for release on May 9, 2025, the controversy has already influenced public discourse and marketing strategies.
Whether Abir Gulal becomes a symbol of cross-border unity or yet another victim of political friction remains to be seen. One thing is clear: in the digital age, even a simple Instagram post can become a flashpoint in the complex narrative of Indo-Pak relations.
