Pakistani singer Atif Aslam was once one of the most prominent playback voices in Bollywood, lending his voice to several popular songs featuring actors including Emraan Hashmi, Salman Khan and Shahid Kapoor. His music found a wide audience in India, where he continues to have a strong fan following, despite a ban on Pakistani artistes.
In a recent interview with Kris Fade for his YouTube show One On One with Kris Fade, Atif opened up about his continued connection with Indian listeners and revealed that fans have found ways to access his music despite the restrictions.
“For the past 10 years, I haven’t done a song there (India). My fans are listening over VPN, and they burn the CDs and give them to people. Not that I appreciate piracy, but music will reach wherever it has to reach.”
Reflecting on the ban and its impact on his career, Atif said, “It’s been almost 10 years since I was banned in India. That was the decision of the Indian government; they decided to ban artistes from Pakistan. Indian artistes are also banned in Pakistan now.”
Despite being away from Bollywood, Atif said it is the Indian audience he continues to miss. “Don’t feel bad about it, don’t feel sad about it. I always wanted to tell you that I miss you guys. I don’t miss working over there, but I miss you guys. I have learnt a lot from playback singing, and if this ban didn’t happen, I think I would be unable to make my own music. So I thank you guys for that as well. I thank those who have banned me as well; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to explore myself.”
Following the 2016 Uri terror attack, industry bodies in India began passing resolutions against Pakistani artistes working in the country. The restrictions intensified after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, with organisations including the Federation of Western India Cine Employees and the All India Cine Workers Association announcing bans on Pakistani artistes working in the Indian film industry.
The issue resurfaced once again in 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack. In its aftermath, FWICE announced a fresh ban on Pakistani artistes working in India and opposed the release of projects featuring Pakistani actors, including Fawad Khan’s Abir Gulaal.
Also Read: After Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Fawad Khan & Atif Aslam’s Instagram Accounts Blocked In India
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
