NEW DELHI (Kashmir English): India’s film industry has once again demonstrated that, for it, cinema is not just a source of entertainment but an effective tool for propagating anti-Pakistan narratives, hate speech, and extremist nationalism.
According to the Kashmir Media Service, the 2026 Hindi spy-comedy film “Udta Teer”—directed by Aakash Kaushik and starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan—was released in Indian cinemas on October 23, 2026.
The film’s plot has once again highlighted the regressive, anti-Pakistan mindset prevalent within the Indian film industry.
The film features a Pakistani spy who, after losing his memory, begins to believe he is a patriotic Indian counter-terrorism officer.
While presented under the guise of comedy, the film’s underlying intent is to ridicule Pakistan, disparage Pakistani characters, and reinforce a sense of Indian nationalist superiority.
Turning the tensions between India and Pakistan into a subject for comedy is, in reality, an attempt to reduce serious political and regional issues to cheap nationalism and superficial entertainment.
It is deeply regrettable that the Indian film industry continues to promote such themes.
Nepal’s Central Film Censor Board and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (refused) to grant permission for the film’s public screening prior to its release… …was denied. This decision was based on Section 8(3) of Nepal’s National Cinema Act, which restricts the screening of content that could potentially harm national security, peace, public order, or relations with friendly nations.
Indian cinema
Various media reports, including those citing Nepali film critic Sampi Yaraj Timilsina, have linked this ban to the film’s controversial subject matter concerning Pakistan and India, as well as its potential diplomatic repercussions.
This decision underscores the principle that the freedom of filmmaking carries with it a responsibility toward regional peace and international relations.
This is not an isolated incident; rather, it reflects a broader trend within the Indian film industry of presenting anti-Pakistan narratives under the guise of entertainment.
The six-member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—have also previously blocked the screening of several Indian films, deeming their content to be anti-Pakistan, prejudiced, or rooted in extremist nationalism.
The film “Dhurandhar” (2025) and its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), faced bans in these six Gulf nations due to their anti-Pakistan narratives. Similarly, “Border 2” (2026) also faced restrictions for its depiction of conflict between India and Pakistan.
Films such as “Fighter” (2024), “Article 370” (2024), “Sky Force”, “The Diplomat” (2025), “Tiger 3” (2023), “Gadar 2”, and “The Kashmir Files” (2022) also faced bans or were denied permission for screening in various Gulf countries due to their one-sided portrayal of the situation in Kashmir and cross-border conflicts.
The issue was not limited to the Gulf states. Malaysia banned the screening of the film “Padmavat” out of consideration for Islamic sensitivities, while Singapore halted the screening of “The Kashmir Files” due to its inflammatory and one-sided narrative.
On one hand, India characterizes its films merely as entertainment and an exercise in creative freedom; yet, on the other, it uses them to propagate a specific political and nationalist narrative globally—one that risks fueling regional tensions, damaging Pakistan’s image, and undermining mutual trust.
The bans imposed by various sovereign nations indicate that the dissemination of hate speech and inflammatory content through cinema is being taken seriously on the international stage.
“Urta Teer” is a recent example of this trend, where—rather than employing purposeful and responsible storytelling—the film promotes national prejudices, political mockery, and anti-Pakistan sentiment under the guise of entertainment.
Pakistan has the right to highlight such trends and to oppose the use of cultural mediums to foster political hatred, national disparagement, and regional tension.
The purpose of cultural exchange should be to bring nations closer together, not to widen the chasm of hatred and distrust between them.
Muslim world should ban anti-Pakistan film
The international community, particularly Muslim-majority nations, should conduct an impartial review of the content of the film “Urta Teer”; if it contains anti-Pakistan hate speech, national disparagement, or inflammatory material… If it is proven to be propaganda, take appropriate measures to ban its public screening—as has been done in the past with certain Indian films.
