Latest news with #GeetaPhogat
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Aamir Khan says he refused Dangal's Pakistan release over demands to remove Indian flag, national anthem
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's Dangal is the highest-grossing Indian film, having earned ₹2,000 crore at the global box office. A significant portion of the film's earnings came from its release in China. During his appearance on Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat, Aamir revealed that he had rejected the film's release in Pakistan after their censor board demanded the removal of the Indian flag and national anthem. (Also Read: Aamir Khan says it is his 'dream to make Mahabharat', wonders if he'll 'have a role in it to play') Aamir explained that, historically, the censor board restricted filmmakers from directly referring to certain countries. They were instructed to use terms like 'neighbouring country' instead. He pointed out that his film Sarfarosh was the first Indian film to openly mention both Pakistan and ISIS. Despite initial concerns from director John Mathew Matthan that the censor board would reject it, Aamir was confident they could justify the inclusion. He further addressed why Dangal was not released in Pakistan and said, "After Sarfarosh, I got a lot of negative comments from Pakistan about what we were showing about them. When Dangal came into theatres, Disney was one of the producers, and they presented the film. They said that we have got a reaction from Pakistan's censor board and they have asked us, 'Geeta Phogat ke jeetne par jo tiranga upar jaata hai aur humara rashtra gaan bajta hai, toh aap yeh dono nikal dijiye or we'll not pass the film' (remove the Indian tricolour and national anthem that comes after Geeta Phogat's win or we'll not pass the film)." Aamir added, "So I told Disney in just one second that our film will not release in Pakistan. So they said, our business will be affected, and we will suffer a loss. I said, Jo humse kahega humara Indian flag nikal do aur humara national anthem nikal do, unse mujhe matlab hi nahi hai (Anyone who tells us to remove our Indian flag and national anthem — I have nothing to do with them). I don't want that business." The biographical sports drama, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, featured Aamir as Mahavir Singh Phogat, an amateur wrestler who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari Phogat to become India's first world-class female wrestlers. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra portrayed the adult versions of the Phogat sisters, while Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar played their younger versions. Sakshi Tanwar played their mother. The film collected ₹387 crore in India and ₹2,070.3 crore worldwide at the box office. Meanwhile, Aamir is now gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual sequel to his 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par. The film also stars Genelia D'Souza in the lead role and is scheduled to release in theatres on 21 June.
Mint
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Aamir Khan reveals he said 'no' to Pakistan release of Dangal after demand to cut Indian flag and anthem scenes
In his recent appearance on the talk show Aap Ki Adalat, actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan shared why his 2016 blockbuster 'Dangal' was not released in Pakistan. The film was one of 2016's biggest blockbusters and it received a lot of praise for its honest portrayal of the famous Phogat family and their personal lives. The decision to not release 'Dangal' in Pakistan, he revealed, came after a request from Pakistan's Censor Board to remove key patriotic elements from the film's climax. According to Khan, the board had objected to the scenes showing the Indian national flag and anthem, which appear during the emotional high point when wrestler Geeta Phogat wins a major match for India. At the time, Disney was co-producing and distributing the film internationally. 'When 'Dangal' was ready for release, Disney screened it for the Pakistan Censor Board,' Aamir said. 'They told our team that unless we cut out the Indian flag and the national anthem from the climax, the film would not be allowed to release in Pakistan.' Aamir said he did not hesitate in making the decision. 'Within a moment, I told my team that we are not releasing the film in Pakistan,' he said firmly. 'They mentioned it might impact the film's business, but I replied that I have no interest in someone who asks me to remove our national flag and anthem from my film.' Khan said he chose not to speak about this issue earlier, but felt it was important now to share what happened. The decision, he said, was a matter of principle, not profit. The film, which is based on the true story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters, was a huge commercial and critical success. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time and was particularly praised for its strong nationalistic tone and portrayal of women in sports. It was also showcased at the Beijing International Film Festival in April 2017, followed by a screening at the second BRICS Film Festival in June the same year. At the 64th National Film Awards, Zaira Wasim received the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the younger Geeta Phogat. The film was also nominated in the Asian Brilliant Stars category at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. As per some reports,'Dangal' remains the only Indian film to have crossed the ₹ 2,000 crore mark globally. By November 2018, it had been viewed over 400 million times on Chinese streaming platforms, highlighting its massive international reach.
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Aamir Khan Reveals Why Dangal Didn't Release In Pakistan: 'Flag, National Anthem Nikalne Bola Tha'
Last Updated: Aamir Khan's Dangal hit theatres in 2026, but was not release in Pakistan. When Aamir Khan's movie Dangal hit theatres in 2026, it did not release in Pakistan. Do you know why? Because the censor board of our neighbouring country had asked the makers to remove two things from the movie – the Indian National Flag and the Indian National Anthem. Recently, Aamir Khan appeared on Aap Ki Adalat, when he revealed the same and shared what had exactly happened in 2016. The actor mentioned that even though the producers told him that cancelling the Pakistan release might impact their business negatively, he was clear that he did not want to support anything which is against India. 'When the film was released, Disney was one of the producers; they presented it. Pakistan's censor had asked them to remove the Indian flag and the Indian national anthem from the scene where Geeta Phogat wins a match. They said they won't release this film unless this is done. Within a second, I told them that our film will not be released in Pakistan. I did not want to think about it either. They said this might impact our business. I said, 'I have no interest if somebody asks me to remove our national flag and national anthem. I do not want this'," Aamid said. "I refused to release Dangal in Pakistan bcoz they decided not to show our national flag and national anthem, people told me you will lose lot of collections, then I said I don't care about collections from Pak":- Megastar #AamirKhan 🫡 — RAJ (@AamirsDevotee) June 13, 2025 Meanwhile, Pakistani actors have also been banned in India. The decision was taken in April this year after Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked civilians in the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, and killed 26 people in cold blood. Amid the tensions, the Government of India issued an advisory to OTT platforms, media streaming services, and intermediaries regarding content originating from Pakistan. All streaming platforms were advised to discontinue Pakistan-origin content, including films, web series, songs, and podcasts, with immediate effect. Social media accounts of Pakistani actors were also banned in India. Aamir Khan had also reacted to India's Operation Sindoor previously with a statement which read, 'Saluting the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Heartfelt gratitude to our armed forces for their courage, bravery and unwavering commitment to the security of our nation. Thank you to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for his leadership and resolve. Jai Hind." First Published:
