Mahira Khan responds to 'Raees' poster removal: 'I couldn't care less'
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, who starred alongside Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 blockbuster film Raees, has finally broken her silence over the removal of her image from the film's promotional materials in India.
While promoting her upcoming Eidul Azha release Love Guru with co-star Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan was asked about her reaction to the decision by Indian distributors to edit her out of Raees posters.
Responding with calm confidence, she said, 'It didn't bother me at all. In fact, I laughed. It was such a petty and ridiculous move.'
Mahira added that Pakistani artists have every reason to feel proud of their own thriving entertainment industry. 'There's so much to be happy about in our own film industry,' she stated.
Actor Humayun Saeed also weighed in, calling the action reflective of 'a very small-minded mentality.'
Several Pakistani actors were removed from album artwork for Indian film soundtracks on several major music platforms, including Spotify and YouTube Music in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, which saw the Narendra Modi-led Indian government place a blanket ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian media.
This ban included removing Pakistani actors and singers from film songs, posters, and even restricting their content on Indian platforms, such as YouTube channels and social media accounts.
Mahira's role in Raees, one of the last major Bollywood films to feature a Pakistani actor, had become symbolic of the cross-border cultural divide.
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