Pak Actors Fawad & Mahira Khan Called 'Hypocrites' Over Anti-India Remarks Post Operation Sindoor
Pakistani stars like Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan face immense backlash for opposing India's anti-terror strike, despite working in Bollywood.
Pakistani actors including Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir and Fawad Khan have landed in hot water after condemning India's Operation Sindoor, a 'measured" and 'non-escalatory" military retaliation by the Indian Armed Forces to the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22. The strike, jointly carried out by the Indian Army and Air Force, destroyed terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, neutralising over 100 terrorists.
While Indians united in praise of the swift action, several Pakistani celebrities used social media to express their disapproval which has sparked fierce backlash and accusations of hypocrisy.
Mahira Khan, best known in India for her role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 film Raees, was among the most vocal. In a lengthy Instagram post, she wrote, 'I am grateful that I live in a country where I am not dictated to say what I have to. I have a voice and I CAN use it… India, your war and hate rhetoric has continued for many years… You attack cities in the middle of the night and call it a victory? Shame on you."
Although her account, along with those of several Pakistani artists, has been blocked in India following the Pahalgam attack, screenshots of their posts circulated widely, especially through diaspora communities. Many users called out Mahira for her 'selective outrage" and questioned why she had no issues working in Indian films earlier.
One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, whose only claim to fame is a Bollywood film with Shah Rukh Khan and who recently had her X and Instagram accounts withheld in India, calls the Indian strikes on Jaish, Lashkar, and Hizbul terror infrastructure inside Pakistan cowardly."
Another user slammed her, saying, 'Mahira Khan defends the failed terrorist state of Pakistan which harboured Osama Bin Laden. She's taken a political stand I hope she doesn't seek work in Bollywood anymore speaking of 'Aman and sukoon'."
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, whose only claim to fame is a Bollywood film with Shah Rukh Khan and who recently had her X and Instagram accounts withheld in India, calls the Indian strikes on Jaish, Lashkar, and Hizbul terror infrastructure inside Pakistan cowardly. pic.twitter.com/RTLzNDsoRf — Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) May 7, 2025
Mahira Khan defends the failed terrorist state of Pakistan which harboured Osama Bin Laden. She's taken a political stand I hope she doesn't seek work in Bollywood anymore speaking of 'Aman & sukoon" pic.twitter.com/crTnCRXeBi — Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) May 7, 2025
Hania Aamir and Fawad Khan, too, received flak for their criticism. Their comments were seen by many as not just anti-India but also as an indirect endorsement of terrorism. The criticism wasn't limited to internet trolls. Many prominent voices questioned the double standards of Pakistani celebrities who have benefitted from Indian platforms but now stand in opposition when India defends itself.
The sentiment among Indians is clear that there's no place for those who work in India's entertainment industry but fail to stand against terrorism when it strikes the country.
Several users pointed out how these Pakistani actors, who once advocated for cultural collaboration and peace through art, were now supporting narratives that seemingly disregard the lives lost in terror attacks. 'Twenty-six innocent people were killed in Pahalgam, and they have the audacity to shame a retaliation against that?" read another angry post.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
After much speculation, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham announce Buckingham Nicks reissue
NEW YORK (AP) — They're not going their own way anymore. After much speculation, Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham announced Wednesday the reissue of 'Buckingham Nicks,' more than 50 years after the release of their only full-length album as a duo. Originally released in 1973, 'Buckingham Nicks' is not currently available on streaming platforms. According to Discogs, the album was last issued on vinyl on the Polydor label in the U.S. in 1981. The remastered version arrives Sept. 19 via Rhino Records' high-fidelity series and was sourced from the original analog master tapes. The album will also receive a CD and digital release for the first time, and the opening track, 'Crying in the Night,' was available to stream Wednesday. Buckingham and Nicks were in their early to mid-20s during the making of their album. 'It was a very natural thing, from the beginning,' Nicks says in the re-release's liner notes, written by music journalist David Fricke. Despite their relative inexperience, 'it stands up in a way you would hope it would, by these two kids who were pretty young to be doing that work,' Buckingham says, according to the announcement release. The reissue announcement was foreshadowed by cryptic Instagram posts last week. Both Nicks and Buckingham shared handwritten lyrics to their official social media accounts. 'And if you go forward…' Nicks posted, a line from their song 'Frozen Love,' which appears on 'Buckingham Nicks.' 'I'll meet you there,' Buckingham shared, completing the lyric. In 2011, Buckingham told Uncut that he and Nicks had 'every intention of putting that album back out and possibly even doing something along with it, but I can't put any specifics on that.' In 2013, on the album's 40th anniversary, Fleetwood Mac released 'Extended Play,' their first new studio material since 2003's 'Say You Will.' The four-track collection featured a song titled 'Without You,' which had been originally slated for 'Buckingham Nicks.' The reissued version of 'Buckingham Nicks' features the same album cover as the original, despite Nicks' public dissatisfaction with the photograph, telling classic rock magazine MOJO that she 'felt like a rat in a trap' during the shoot. 'I'm actually quite prudish. So when they suggested they shoot Lindsey and I nude I could not have been more terrified if you'd asked me to jump off a speeding train,' Nicks told MOJO in 2013. 'Lindsey was like, 'Oh, come on — this is art. Don't be a child!' I thought, 'Who are you? Don't you know me?'' 'Buckingham Nicks' was released one year before they joined Fleetwood Mac, and was met with little commercial success. But it did attract the attention of Mick Fleetwood, who invited Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham in turn insisted Nicks come, too. The two, then a couple, became the central faces, voices and songwriters of the group for the four decades that followed. The pair's tumultuous relationship appeared across the band's discography: She wrote 'Dreams' about him. He wrote 'Go Your Own Way' about her. Infamously, they broke up while writing the 1977 hit album 'Rumours.' Footage of Nicks staring down Buckingham 20 years later during a performance of 'Silver Springs' routinely goes viral ('You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you,' Nicks and Buckingham sing in unison, at one point, holding each other's gaze.) Buckingham left the band in 1987, returning in 1996. The last time the band reunited, however, for a 2018-2019 tour, the rest of the members kicked Buckingham out, and as a result, he sued them. He claimed he was told five days after the group appeared at Radio City Music Hall that the band would tour without him. He says he would have been paid at least $12 million for his share of the proceeds. Later that year, Buckingham said they had settled the lawsuit. Both Buckingham and Nicks have also released reams of solo music. Some fans had theorized that Nicks and Buckingham were teasing a Fleetwood Mac reunion, which would have been the first since the death of vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player Christine McVie in 2022. Last year, Nicks told MOJO that without McVie, 'there is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way.' This story has been updated to correct reporting that 'Buckingham Nicks' has never been reissued. The album was last issued on vinyl on the Polydor label in the U.S. in 1981.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Trisha Paytas gives birth just as Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne dies. Coincidence? The internet thinks not!
Trisha Paytas is officially a mom of three, and her latest baby's name has everyone doing a double-take. The YouTuber, podcast host, and internet provocateur welcomed her third child with husband Moses Hacmon on July 12, 2025. And the name? Aquaman Moses Paytas-Hacmon. Trisha Paytas with her newborn son; Ozzy Osbourne Naturally, the reveal came in peak Trisha fashion, via a teaser for her Just Trish podcast. 'After a surprising and traumatic birth, baby number three is here!' the episode description read. 'It's been months of speculation, but now Trisha and Moses are FINALLY ready to reveal the name of their little boy.' She also posted about the birth on all her socials, as one naturally does. '💙AQUAMAN MOSES PAYTAS-HACMON💙 Born 07.12.25 @ 12:40 am 🙏,' read the Instagram announcement caption. Their previous two children — Malibu Barbie and Elvis — already gave the world plenty to talk about. And naming your son after a superhero is not really new…so why is the internet freaking out? Well, it's because of the Trisha Paytas Baby Theory. What is the Trisha Paytas Baby Theory? The theory began in September 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96. Just before the official announcement, Paytas tweeted that she had gone into labour with her first child, Malibu Barbie. The timing was uncanny. Twitter spiraled. Many (jokingly, but also... not?) declared that the Queen had reincarnated into Trisha's baby. Elvis, baby number two, arrived with far less celestial fanfare. But when Paytas revealed she was expecting a third, the theory was instantly revived. This time, TikTok and Twitter kept a close watch on the elderly and famous. When Pope Francis passed away in April 2025, some corners of the internet were convinced his soul was en route to the Paytas-Hacmon household. Then came Donald Trump. News of the US president's chronic venous insufficiency in mid-2025 launched yet another round of memes speculating that Trisha was preparing to give birth to Trump 2.0. Trisha herself has never been one to lean away from controversy and truly believes in her own 'divine womb'. 'I don't know how my womb is carrying all these souls,' she said on Just Trish. Unfortunately for TikTok theorists, baby Aquaman arrived just as Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne passed away. Not quite the Trump moment they were waiting for…but still pretty suspicious. What do netizens have to say? Once something happens three times, it's not a coincidence and even the internet thinks so. 'Every time someone dies Trisha Paytas gives birth. It's not coincidental anymore,' read one comment on X. Another claimed, 'Fighting for my life trying to explain the Trisha paytas baby theory to my not chronically online coworkers.' A comment on Reddit read, 'First the queen, then the pope, and now Ozzy...' Another hilariously asked, 'Is she going to have more children or are celebrities safe for now?' One more said, 'She is allowed to have children?' A particularly hilarious comment was, 'Ozzy, that you?' What now? Paytas has hinted that this might be her final pregnancy, making baby Aquaman a kind of superhero swan song. But if the internet has taught us anything, it's that a new Trisha era is always just around the corner. Let's just hope that no one has to die for it.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Grief & tributes pour in over theatre maestro Thiyam's death
1 2 Guwahati: The death of renowned theatre maestro Ratan Thiyam plunged the nation into mourning, with an outpouring of grief and tributes from political leaders, cultural figures, and theatre communities across India. Manipur governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and former chief minister N Biren Singh led the the tributes from Manipur, highlighting his significant contributions to India's cultural landscape. In a statement, the Manipur govt said, "With profound grief and deep sorrow, we mourn the passing of Padma Shri recipient and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Ratan Thiyam — a towering figure in Indian theatre and a cultural icon of Manipur. We join the artistic fraternity and the nation in remembering his extraordinary legacy." The Manipur Raj Bhavan said on X, "The Governor stated that his invaluable contribution to Manipuri theatre and culture will always be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and admirers. " Singh, in a post on X, wrote, "It is with deep sorrow that I express my heartfelt condolences on the passing of Ratan Thiyam, a true luminary of Indian theatre and an esteemed son of Manipur. His unwavering dedication to his craft, his vision, and his love for Manipuri culture enriched not only the world of theatre but also our very identity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally Undo His work carried the soul of Manipur — echoing its stories, its struggles, and its beauty. " Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called him "a leading light of the Theatre of Roots movement," saying, "Shri Ratan Thiyam dedicated his life to bring indigenous theatre and art practices to the global stage. A Padma awardee, his productions were rich in talent and messaging." Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said: "He was a visionary who redefined Indian theatre by blending contemporary form with the cultural soul of Manipur. His legacy will continue to inspire." West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee mourned him as "a true legend who put Manipuri theatre on the global map" and said, "His unique blend of tradition and experiment enriched Indian performing arts immensely and resonated worldwide." Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, also expressed his grief, saying, "Thiyam's legacy will continue to inspire generations to come." Renowned Kolkata-based theatre veterans like Rudra Prasad Sengupta and Kaushik Sen also paid tribute, recalling Thiyam's frequent presence at theatre festivals in the city and his powerful influence on modern Indian theatre. Ratan Thiyam was a trailblazer of the "Theatre of Roots" movement, which synthesised Indian classical, folk, and tribal performance forms with contemporary theatrical expression. He founded the Chorus Repertory Theatre in Imphal in 1976, which became a national and international symbol of rooted yet experimental theatre. His groundbreaking works like Chakravyuha, Urubhangam, Uttar Priyadarshi, and Lengshonnei challenged the boundaries of traditional Indian theatre and brought the richness of Manipuri aesthetics, spirituality, and politics to the global stage. He was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Padma Shri (1989) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987). He relinquished the Padma Shri in 2001 in protest against the Centre's decision to extend the ceasefire with the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland. Ratan Thiyam's passing is not only a great loss for Manipur, which he deeply loved and represented through his art, but also for the entire nation and the global theatre community. His relentless pursuit of truth, his seamless weaving of text and tradition, and his unmatched visual poetics have etched his name into the canon of world theatre.
