Fawad Khan-led Abir Gulaal's music to be launched in Dubai on April 19

(From left) Vaani Kapoor and Fawad Khan in Abir Gulaal

After the teaser of Abir Gulaal dropped earlier this month, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) opposed its release, condemning Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's return to Bollywood after nine years. Amid the tension, the makers of the love story, also starring Vaani Kapoor, are carrying out the promotions as scheduled, ahead of its May 9 release. We've heard that the film's music will be launched at Global Village in Dubai on April 19, with the leads in attendance. Amit Trivedi, who has composed the film's soundtrack, will perform at the event.

We're told Dubai was on the table right when the promotional plan was being drawn up. A source associated with Aarti S Bagdi's directorial venture tells us, "The team anticipated the risk of backlash in India ever since Fawad came on board. Dubai is the obvious choice for promotions. It's a neutral ground, has a strong diaspora presence, and Fawad is popular there. Music is a key aspect of Abir Gulaal. They wanted to go big on the music before launching the trailer."

Amit Trivedi

The music launch is being designed as a concert of sorts, with Trivedi performing select tracks from the movie. Another insider says, "It won't be a ticketed event; it will be open to the public who have paid the entry fee for Global Village."

Khan has been missing from the big screens in India since 2016, when the Indian industry stopped collaborating with Pakistani artistes in the aftermath of the Uri attack. While the Punjab release of his Pakistani film, The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022), was cancelled last year, the actor's series, Barzakh (2024), premièred on Zee5.