Actor Harshvardhan Rane rose to fame after his debut film Sanam Teri Kasam, co-starring Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane re-released in theatres this year. However, he refused to be part of the sequel if the original cast is repeated, following Mawra's anti-India statement surfaced on social media amidst escalating tension between India and Pakistan.
Harshvardhan took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday, May 10 and wrote, "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 made this statement in response to Mawra’s remarks about Operation Sindoor. She shared a post on X on May 7 that read, "Strongly condemn India’s cowardly attack on Pakistan… Innocent civilians have lost their lives… May Allah protect us all… May sense prevail… Ya Allah ho Ya Hafizo."
Harshvardhan was highly praised and he received lots of support from the netizens after his Instagram posts went viral on social media platforms like X and Reddit. A user on X wrote, "Guess we still have someone with spine in bollywood. More power to you." Another post pointed out, "He deserve respect men. Because, in Sanam Teri Kasam, the actress was pakistani. He will decline the movie if previous cast is repeated, means if the same actress is casted again."
A user also wrote, "Ppl questioning him should question the producer and director as to why they are so keen to repeat the cast." Another netizen commented, "It needs guts to do this!! Proud of him..Jay hind."
In the aftermath of the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, numerous Indian actors spoke out against the violence. Subsequently, on May 7, India initiated Operation Sindoor, a strategic military offensive targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation involved 24 precision strikes across nine locations, leading to heightened tensions between the two nations.
Speaking of Sanam Teri Kasam, the film starring Harshvardhan and Mawra is written and directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. The film marked the Bollywood debut of both the actors. Produced by Deepak Mukut, the 2016 film which initially failed to work well after its original release nine years ago, did exceptionally well at the box office after it was re-released on February 7, 2025 as it grossed more than Rs 50 crore.
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