Several major music streaming platforms, including Spotify and YouTube Music, have quietly removed Pakistani actors from album artwork of Indian film soundtracks, sparking controversy and speculation amid ongoing political tensions. The move affects prominent titles such as Sanam Teri Kasam and Raees, both of which originally featured Pakistani stars on their cover visuals.
The updated Sanam Teri Kasam artwork now excludes Mawra Hocane, showing only her co-star Harshvardhan Rane. Hocane’s image vanished shortly after Rane publicly refused to work with her in the sequel. Similarly, Mahira Khan has been cropped out from the song Zaalima’s artwork in Raees, leaving only Shah Rukh Khan visible.
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Producer Deepak Mukut, who was behind Sanam Teri Kasam, expressed surprise at the update, stating he was neither consulted nor informed. “It’s their decision,” he said, adding that streaming platforms are likely responding to broader governmental and public pressures.
This trend mirrors earlier removals of Pakistani content following the Pulwama and Pahalgam attacks. While no official directive has been issued to alter existing artwork, the pattern suggests a growing alignment with political and nationalist sentiments. Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, too, has seen his presence reduced in digital promotions for his Indian films.
Meanwhile, the cross-border film Abir Gulaal, starring Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor, has been pulled from Kapoor’s social media amid political backlash. Although NDTV reported the removals were technical, the incident feeds into mounting calls from groups like FWICE and MNS to ban Pakistani artists entirely from Indian media.
