A Bollywood collaboration right now calls for suffering on both ends: Fawad Khan

Actor said he would love to meet his co-stars from India but working there again might be tricky

The ultimate heartthrob and uber-talented singer and actor, Fawad Khan, made a name for himself in Pakistan with projects like Khuda Ke Liye (2007), Dastaan (2010), Humsafar (2011) and Zindagi Gulzar Hai (2012). He then went on to make his Bollywood and Hollywood debuts with Khoobsurat (2014) and Disney’s Ms Marvel (2022) respectively. While in India, the actor also starred in Kapoor & Sons (2016) opposite Alia Bhatt and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) opposite Anushka Sharma.

After remaining absent from film and television screens at home, however, Fawad has now returned to his roots with a bang by taking on the titular role of Maula Jatt in Bilal Lashari’s magnum opus. And as he embraces Pakistani cinema once again, his fans in India can’t help but wonder if they’ll ever see him return to mainstream Bollywood.

Speaking to Variety about the same, Fawad maintained that while he enjoyed his stay in B-town, the political unrest between Pakistan and India makes him wary of even answering a controversial question like this.

“The collaboration with the people that I got to know and the kinds of people I was exposed to there was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. The political fallout [between India and Pakistan] has not influenced our relationships, but it’s definitely made us very wary of answering such a question,” he said.

Fawad shared that he realises the magnitude of hate celebrities receive at both ends for collaborating with artists from their arch-rival country and he wouldn’t want him or a co-star of his to face the brunt of either. “It’s a good question but I can’t give a definitive answer until things stabilize and there are a lot of issues that need to be answered. I hate confrontation, I really avoid it. I don’t like controversy either,” said the Jutt and Bond actor.

“I think it’s more of a question of whether someone else would like to work with me, instead of me working with others because fingers will be pointed at them. I’ll do my work and go away but then the people who’ll have to suffer are those who are who want to collaborate with me. And I care about that because they are going to live there, and they’re going to suffer the consequences.”

He added, “Similarly if I were to work [in India] and come back [to Pakistan], I’d have to suffer the consequences of what the people or the government or whatever bodies that are involved think about it.”

While the current political climate makes it difficult to collaborate, Fawad’s heart is fond of the friends he made. “I have a great relationship with the people that I’ve worked with and made great friends. I would love to see them again someday, and maybe work with them again. Whether it be for an international platform, a Pakistani platform, or for an Indian platform. Mainstream Bollywood is a different ballgame altogether,” he said.

After Bollywood, Fawad gained international prominence with the series Ms. Marvel, where he appears in flashback as the lead character’s great-grandfather. He told Variety that he made great friends with everyone on that set, especially with the producers. The statement sparked a discussion about whether the superhero series will reprise his character for a second season. “I think the track of the character has ended and sometimes the shortest and the simplest things in life are the sweetest,” he held. “But I don’t know what Disney would think what they want to do in the future.”

Apart from the much-awaited The Legend of Maula Jatt, Fawad has several projects lined up. Co-produced by the actor himself, Neelofar, a love story between a writer and a blind woman, will see him star, once again, opposite Mahira Khan. The romantic film is due for a theatrical release in early 2023.

Aside from that, Fawad will be seen in another star-studded film, an action-comedy titled Money Back Guarantee which is due for a release in March 2023. The Faisal Qureshi directorial will see him onscreen alongside Ayesha Omar, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, among others.

Fawad is also coming back with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed in Barzakh, directed by Asim Abbasi for Zee5.