Pakistani Minister Regrets Banning Aamir Khan’s Dangal: 'I Hadn’t Even Watched The Film'

Maryam Aurangzeb, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and current minister in Punjab, has publicly expressed regret over her decision to ban Aamir Khan’s Dangal from releasing in Pakistan back in 2017 - a decision she took during her tenure as the Information Minister.

Maryam Aurangzeb regrets banning Dangal in Pakistan

Aurangzeb made the revelation during a recent podcast appearance, where she was asked if there was any decision in her political career that she now looks back on with regret. In response, she recalled how she had blocked the release of Dangal in Pakistan without watching the film.

“Yes, if there is one regret that I have when I was the Federal information minister it was banning the screening of 'Dangal' in Pakistan,” she confessed.

“It was my first meeting with the censor board representatives and information ministry people and they recommended a ban on screening of the film giving some reasons for this,” she added.

Aurangzeb shared that over a year later, she finally watched the film and realized how impactful it could have been for young Pakistani girls.

“One and half year later, I got a chance to see the film and I realised my decision to approve the ban was wrong. It was a film which was inspirational for our girls and was close to home,” she said.

About Dangal

Released in 2016, 'Dangal' tells the real-life story of Indian wrestling champion Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters, who defied gender norms to achieve international success. The film was both a critical and commercial success worldwide, lauded for its empowering message and powerful performances.

Bollywood and Pakistan

Although Bollywood films were allowed in Pakistan between 2008 and 2019, and often performed exceptionally well at the box office, diplomatic tensions led to a blanket ban on Indian films in the country starting in 2019.

Since then, Pakistan’s cinema industry has struggled, with many theatres shutting down due to a lack of local content and the limited appeal of Hollywood offerings. Pakistani filmmakers continue to face challenges in matching the production values and storytelling scale of Indian cinema, leaving audiences with fewer choices and exhibitors with dwindling profits.

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