Bollywood vs. Pakistan: Mawra Hocane’s Erasure Sparks Harshvardhan Rane’s Fierce Response
May 14, 2025 – Indian actor Harshvardhan Rane and Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane, who starred together in the 2016 Bollywood romantic drama Sanam Teri Kasam, are back in the spotlight amid rising political tensions. The Bollywood-Pakistan entertainment bridge has once again come under strain as reports emerged that Hocane’s image has been digitally removed from the film’s album covers on streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music, sparking controversy and strong reactions from Harshvardhan Rane.
“National Weeding”: Harshvardhan Rane Backs Removal of Mawra Hocane from Film Posters
Amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, this development has triggered a wave of reactions. Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra’s co-star in Sanam Teri Kasam, took to Instagram to share his thoughts. Reposting a headline from the Instagram page Litmus that read, “Removed from the film that made her. Mawra Hocane erased by the nation she forgot to respect,” Harshvardhan Rane added a pointed caption: “…National weeding.”
The actor continued his stance across multiple Instagram stories, reacting to the situation and distancing himself from any association with a potential sequel involving Mawra Hocane. “Now they’ll say my PR team did this! But again, I assume it’s just common sense—looks like some weeding is being done,” he wrote, making it clear that he supports the erasure amid rising national sentiments.
Harshvardhan Rane also shared a screenshot referencing Mawra’s past comments on India’s counter-terrorism strikes. In response, he posted:
“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. Am okay with losing out on followers on Instagram, but won’t allow anyone to walk over the pride and upbringing.”
Earlier this week, Harshvardhan Rane had formally declared his refusal to participate in Sanam Teri Kasam 2 if Mawra Hocane remained part of the cast.
“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 said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the film’s producer, Deepak Mukut, told HT City that he was unaware of the removal of Mawra’s images, stating, “They didn’t ask me, it’s their decision. Whatever our government says, everyone has to follow.”
The directors of Sanam Teri Kasam have also reportedly expressed support for the ban on Pakistani actors, echoing the sentiment: “Nation first, always.”
As artistic exchanges between India and Pakistan continue to be marred by political tensions, the future of cross-border collaborations remains uncertain.