Pak India Relationship Breakdown Over the Past Few Days, Mawra Hocane’s Timeline Says It All
The recent confrontation has seen a new low between Pak-India relations, perhaps not one seen before in any conflict between the two countries post 1947. The ordinary citizens of both countries are responding with pain, rage and anger. Pakistanis in particular are dealing with a sense of hurt, as if the people they are seeing across the border are not what they thought they were.
It all started with Sanam Teri Kasam rerelease in India. Termed the biggest Bollywood re-release in its first weekend, this 2016 film, rereleased in 2025, stunned the box office and made Pakistani and Indian hearts do a double flip. Since it featured Pakistani actor Mawra Hocane playing against Indian actor Harshvardhan Rane, both sides of the border had reasons to celebrate.
This was April 7th 2025.
Pahalgam had not happened.
After the re-release, Mawra reportedly shared her thoughts on being a part of Sanam Teri Kasam 2.
“If it’s possible for me to be a part of it, I’d love to, but even if it isn’t, there’s no hard feelings…”
Times Entertainment
Mawra Hocane took to her Instagram subsequently and posted a heartfelt message for her Indian fans, sharing insights and country-wise follower reveals from her social media handle:
“A special mention for my Indian fans today, Love you to the moon and back!”
This was April 17th 2025.
Pahalgam had not happened yet.
On 22nd April 2025, Pahalgam terror attacks left 31 civilians dead, many of them tourists in Kashmir.
Come April 23rd 2025 and Mawra Hocane posts once more, for her Indian followers:
My deepest condolences to the affected families. An act of terrorism against one is
terrorism against all… What’s happening to the world??? #pahalagam
Mawra’s condolences were accompanied by posts from many other Pakistani public figures who condemned the Pahalgam attacks and reached out to their friends, colleagues and neighbours from across the border, denouncing terrorism.
But then the story flipped.
As the Indian government proceeded to place the blame for the terror attacks on Pakistan without presenting concrete evidence, the posts retreated to a quiet place, not wanting to add fuel to the fire, and genuinely concerned about the politically explosive situation unfolding.
But we were possibly naive and unschooled in the ways of the world to think that politics has always been a game for the politicians, of wielding power, national support, and promoting a public image; that it had nothing to do with the performing Arts, entertainment industry, the Indian and Pakistani fans who lament the loss of watching their favourite stars onscreen from across the border.
This too shall pass, they said. And good sense will prevail. But it didn’t.
The story grew, it festered, and it ballooned into a swollen mass of allegations, strongly-worded statements, threats of choking off water supply, exacting revenge and mud-slinging. Pakistan and India have seen quite a few scuffles on their border as well as enagaged in all-out wars between the two countries – 1965 and 1971 being two overt operations. Then came Kargil.
But no one in 2025 expected an overnight disintegration of cross-border relations that made a deep dive into the hearts of the people who always served to mend it. No one saw THIS coming. Not even Mawra Hocane, or Mahira Khan, or Sajal Aly, and even Fawad Khan. These are public figures who engage with their Indian fans and possibly, friends and colleagues more than the average Pakistani citizen.
On the night of May 6th 2025, India attacked Pakistan.
Mawra Hocane and other Pakistanis took to their social media handles, proclaiming solidarity with their nation. Mawra’s statement was worded as follows:
Strongly condemn India’s cowardly attack on Pakistan,
Innocent civilians have lost their lives,
May Allah protect us all, may sense prevail…Ya Allaho Ya Hafizo.PakistanZindabad
That was May 7th, a day after India decided to attack Pakistan.
On 10th May, Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra’s co-star in Sanam Teri Kasam, posted a public statement:
“While I am grateful for the experience, however, as things stand, and after reading the direct comments made about my country, I have made a decision to respectfully decline to be a part of Sanam Teri Kasam Part 2 if there is any possibility of the previous cast being repeated.”
Of course, the slight hurt and rightfully so.
Also May 10th 2025
Mawra Hocane came back with a response that revealed a sense of hurt, yet fierce pride in her decision:
“I don’t know whether to call this unfortunate, sad or comical…someone I expected to have basic common sense has risen from deep slumber with a PR strategy.”
“Look around you, look at what’s going on! We could all hear explosions… children in my country died due to an unjustified cowardly attack, innocent lives are lost and after multiple attempts to still maintain grace and peace, a befitting response by my armed forces have caused a frenzy in your country last night. While our nations are at war, this is what you come up with, a PR statement to get attention? What a pity!”
“I’ve always shown respect, love and gratitude for everyone I’ve worked with, and I’ll continue to do so. I was offered to collaborate, and I did. I’ll never spew hate like you just did”
“Making such announcements at this volatile time, it’s both shameful and bizarre to see you so hungry and desperate. Our countries have been at WAR… two nuclear countries have been at war, this is not the time to discuss films, to mock one another, to bring each other down. Only goes to show your ignorance in such a sensitive situation, I guess it’s not just your news media that’s gone bonkers.
“If throwing all the respect away and using my name after nine years is getting you the headlines… you might be surrounded by the wrong team. You just DO NOT use war for your personal benefit. So many lives lost… it’s a grave situation, you’ve fallen from grace for nothing!”
Mawra capped off with “Praying for civilians on both sides… and Pakistan’s soldiers, not immersed in the thoughts of what my next FILM should be!”
“My country above everything else! Pakistan Zindabad”
Mawra’s journey is one many of us have walked. It reveals a deep sense of betrayal, it delivers a jolt to all those Pakistanis who expected that personal relationships, shared experiences, memories and humanity will rise above all else. That navigating the shared loss of both countries, will be a sea of hearts that come together to mend broken souls; through cinema, storytelling, words of comfort and above all else, humanity.
When Mawra Hocane and many more Pakistani actors whom Pakistanis hold close to their hearts, finally broke their silence, it was not a football match that we cheered for, but a sense of pride, relief and confidence, that although good sense must prevail, one must stand up for what one knows is right in one’s heart.
Taking sides was not a choice anymore. It was a given.
Speaking up was not a choice anymore, it was mandatory.
Staying silent was not a privilege anymore.
As a Pakistani, one cannot seek validation from the very side that calls out you and your country, sadly, even celebrating spilt blood of innocent civilians, and relishing the thought of more.
Mawra Hocane and people like Mawra who have cross-border friendships and fans, have come full circle. They have come to the realization that perhaps, we’re wired different as Pakistanis. Mawra’s final words in her post, … “Praying for civilians on both sides” is the subtle humanity we need even when we speak up for our country. And this is what Pakistanis are, even in adversity. We are kind, human, and measured in our response, even if we are seething inside with the weight of grave injustice.
As we navigate the way forward, here’s what helps, and Mawra Hocane is giving goals yet again with her recent post:
‘Umm so anyway, I got a new haircut… “
This was May 12th 2025
Mawra Hocane has come a long way since April 22nd 2025 and so have we as a nation. Pakistan needs its stars to stand by it. And if Mawra would just know how her words have impacted the 9.8M followers who love her for every emotion she felt and had the courage to speak out, she’d know we are truly blessed to have her.
The world is a sad place to be in right now for Pakistanis. It is also a fierce place, where, if we are not facing a fall of missiles and drones from the sky, we are barraged with an onslaught of words, hostility and perpetual name-calling.
Mawra’s posts came from a place of deep caring. But the slight from fellow Indians, civilians, friends, work colleagues, whom she thought would be united in grief over the loss of innocent lives in a world spiraling into conflict, left her stunned. It left us stunned. What was even more baffling was how, amid the tragedy and pain of dealing with a disturbing loss of human lives, the conversation somehow turned to films. That too, a film she was never even cast in—yet here they were, publicly ‘removing’ her from it. The surreal nature of it all was truly confounding, as we tried to make sense of a reality where empathy seemed to take a backseat to performative outrage.
What Mawra felt and expressed in her posts is echoed by thousands of Pakistanis across the globe. The choice was clear. Perhaps this conflict was a wakeup call, a reminder, that one must stand up and speak up for one’s nation, yet, do it with pride, dignity and respect – because this is who we are. And while we will not let any one else define our response, we will stand strong and united in solidarity.
Hopefully, the worst is behind us, and we’re the wiser for it.
So take a moment to breathe now, exhale and get that haircut.
Mawra Hocane you rock girl. Keep going… unstoppable you!
It’s good that Marwa strikes a balanced note between patriotism and world peace . It’s a hard choice for al or us especially when we hope that art ans entertainment can build bridges where bombs and rhetoric can’t. We have ultimately to work for peace and hope that sense and sensitivity prevail on both sides. Who wants to consume hate Gir heavens sake. My sympathies to those who lost lives for no fault of theirs .
Salute Marwa way to go!