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India had already pulled films from release in addition to banning Pakistani talent from working in India.
As tensions mount between neighbours, India and Pakistan, film ties between the countries have taken a hit, with Pakistan banning Indian films.
Since gaining independence from British rule in 1947, the two countries have fought three major wars over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
On Tuesday, the Indian government said that Indian Air Force jets bombed a training outfit of the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pakistan. The strike was seen as a response to an attack on Feb. 14 in Kashmir, which killed 40 Indian soldiers and for which JeM claimed responsibility, according to India.
Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a tweet Tuesday unveiled the ban on Indian films, saying that the country’s Cinema Exhibitors Association “has boycotted Indian content. No Indian Movie [to] be released in Pakistan.” It also said that Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has been instructed “to act against Indian-made advertisements.”
On Wednesday, Pakistan claimed that it shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured its pilot. Soon after, the Indian government confirmed that it lost one jet in a combat operation and that a pilot was “missing in action,” without giving further details.
Even before Pakistan issued its ban, following the attack in Kashmir, Indian producers had already withdrawn their films from release in Pakistan. These included Fox Star Studios comedy Total Dhamaal, while local banner Maddock Films pulled the release of Luka Chuppi (slated to open March 1) and upcoming releases Arjun Patiala and Made in China.