Fawad Khan’s Bollywood outings may have been few and far between, but that hasn’t diminished the admiration that Indian fans harbour for the Pakistani actor. It is, perhaps, in keeping with this demand of cinegoers that Indian filmmakers continue to attempt to release his works in the country, only to be met with legal roadblocks that are both arbitrary and unofficial.

Among the few filmmakers attempting to arrive at decisive answers on the subject is Delhi-based playwright Imran Zahid, who is working on an Indian adaptation of the popular Pakistani drama series, Humsafar (2011), featuring Khan and Mahira Khan. Zahid, who had filed a Right to Information (RTI) query regarding the release of Pakistani films in India, and to understand the laws relating to collaborating with artistes of the neighbouring country, has revealed that the Ministry of External Affairs redirected his query to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which also subsequently failed to provide conclusive information.