Harshvardhan Rane supports Mawra Hocane's removal From Sanam Teri Kasam album poster, writes "National weeding"

Harshvardhan Rane on Mawra Hoccane removal from posters

Tensions between India and Pakistan have once again spilled into the entertainment world, as Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane finds herself at the centre of fresh controversy over her debut Bollywood film Sanam Teri Kasam (2016), in which she starred opposite Harshvardhan Rane.

Once praised for its poignant story and the chemistry between the leads, the movie is currently in the news for a more controversial reason: rumours have it that Mawra's image has been digitally removed from the album covers on websites like Spotify and YouTube Music.

Reactions to the move were immediate, particularly after Mawra's previous comments about India's military actions were brought back to light.

Harshvardhan Rane, her co-star, took to Instagram to subtly acknowledge the development. Sharing a post from the Instagram page Litmus, which stated, “Removed from the film that made her. Mawra Hocane erased by the nation she forgot to respect," Harshvardhan responded with the cryptic caption, “…National weeding."

Adding to the furore, the film’s producer, Deepak Mukut, told HT City he was unaware of Mawra’s removal from the music platforms, stating, “They didn’t ask me, it’s their decision. Whatever our government says, everyone has to follow.”

Recently, Harshvardhan issued a public statement announcing his refusal to be part of any sequel to Sanam Teri Kasam if Mawra were involved. “While I am grateful for the experience however as things stand, and after reading the direct comments made about my country, I have made a decision to respectfully decline to be a part of Sanam Teri Kasam part 2 if there is any possibility of the previous cast being repeated," he wrote on Instagram.

In a further post, Harshvardhan addressed Mawra’s past comments by stating, “I respect all artists and humans of this country, that country, Kenya and even Mars, but this kind of derogatory remarks about my country by anyone is unpardonable… Standing by your country is good, but disrespectful, hate remarks about other country is not."

Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru are the directors of the 2016 romantic drama Sanam Teri Kasam.

The main actors in the movie are Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane and Harshvardhan Rane. The film, which is well-known for its poignant plot and moving soundtrack, chronicles the journey of Inder, a misunderstood ex-convict with a difficult past, and Saraswati, a traditional girl who was turned down for marriage because of her appearance.

A touching and tragic love story results from the unexpected ways in which their lives intersect. Over time, the movie developed a cult following, particularly due to Himesh Reshammiya's music.