The release of the successful Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt in India has been indefinitely postponed. The Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan starrer was slated to enter Indian cinemas on December 30. However, an INOX official told PTI that the distributors decided against releasing the film on the scheduled date and are yet to lock the new release date.
Meanwhile, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who plays the lead role in the film, has said that the release of his film The Legend of Maula Jatt in India would have been a good gesture for the two countries. The actor has previously worked in such Hindi films as Khoobsurat (2014), Kapoor & Sons (2016), and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016).
“That would be great, obviously. If it were to happen, it’s a great way to handshake. It is kind of like those sweets and delights we send across to one another on Eid and Diwali. Films and music is that kind of exchange. But things are a bit heated still, let’s see. I’ve heard it may release and it may not. So, let us see,” Khan told CNN during an interview.
The actor went on to add that the year 2022 proved to be a great year for not just him, but Pakistani cinema as a whole. “I am a small part of the industry and the kind of boundaries it pushed, the business it did and the filmmaking style…all of it proved great for Pakistani cinema,” he said.
Ameya Khopkar, the lead of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and president of their cinema wing, tweeted about the cancellation of the release of the film and wrote, “Impact of Raj Thackeray’s Warning! After the warning given by MNS, the screening of the Pakistani film ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ has now been completely cancelled. Not only in the state but also anywhere in the country, this film will not be released anymore.”
Directed by Bilal Lashari, The Legend of Maula Jatt is an official adaptation of the 1979 Pakistani cult classic Maula Jatt.
