Aamir Khan Won’t Release Dangal In Pakistan Without Indian National Anthem

Actor-producer Aamir Khan has decided against releasing his Bollywood blockbuster Dangal in Pakistan after the Censor Board there demanded that two scenes involving the Indian flag and the National Anthem should be cut.

Mobashir Hasan, Pakistan’s Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) head, told IANS over social media: “Yes, the board unanimously decided to skip two scenes.”

Asked why the Indian flag and anthem needed to be cut, Hasan said: “The decision is the collective wisdom of the board.”

He added that it was now up to the local distributor — Geo Films — to release it or not.

Subsequently, Aamir has decided not to release the movie in Pakistan, saying the demanded cuts were crucial to the spirit of the film, his spokesperson told IANS.

Dangal is a movie inspired by the real-life story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trains his daughters Geeta and Babita to become wrestling champions.

The movie was loved by the Indian audiences, which was proved by its whopping Rs 387.39* crore-plus collection in the country. Dangal has surpassed the lifetime collections of PK and has become the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

The news comes just over two months after Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners lifted a self-imposed ban on the screening of Indian films in the wake of heightened tensions with India over the September 2016 terror attack in Uri that left 19 Indian soldiers dead.

On the work front, Aamir Khan will next be seen in Secret Superstar, where he’ll portray the character of a music composer. The film will be directed by Advait Chandan and produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao. Secret Superstar stars Zaira Wasim and Meher Vij in key roles and will release on 4th August.

Post this, Aamir Khan will share the screen with Amitabh Bachchan for the first time in Thugs Of Hindostan. The film will soon go on floors and will be directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who previously helmed Tashan and Dhoom 3. It will be produced under the reputed banner of Yash Raj Films and will release in Diwali, 2018.