July 3, 2025: Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane Instagram account has once again been restricted in India, days after it was briefly accessible to Indian users. The sudden visibility caused confusion online, but officials have now confirmed it was the result of a technical error.
Users attempting to access Hocane’s profile today are met with the message:
“Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
According to a report by Hindustan Times, sources familiar with the matter clarified that Mawra’s Instagram visibility on July 1 was not a policy reversal but a temporary glitch in the platform’s geo-restriction settings.
📵 Part of a Larger Crackdown
Mawra is not alone. Instagram handles of other Pakistani stars including Yumna Zaidi, Danish Taimoor, and Ahad Raza Mir have also been blocked again. Accounts belonging to celebrities such as Mahira Khan, Atif Aslam, Hania Aamir, and Fawad Khan remain restricted in India as well.
The social media blackout follows the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives and led to a renewed ban on Pakistani artists across Indian media and digital platforms.
🎬 Fallout in Bollywood: Dropped from Sanam Teri Kasam 2
Mawra, who rose to fame in India through her role in the 2016 film Sanam Teri Kasam, was also recently removed from its upcoming sequel. Actor Harshvardhan Rane, her co-star from the original film, publicly stated he would not return if she remained in the cast.
“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 2’ if there is any possibility of the previous cast being repeated,” Rane wrote on Instagram.
The film’s directors, Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, later confirmed her removal, stating, “Mawra definitely nahi hai (Mawra is definitely not part of it).”
🔒 Digital & Diplomatic Divide
The re-blocking of Mawra Hocane’s account signals that India’s cultural and digital restrictions on Pakistani celebrities remain firmly in place. Despite fan demand and past popularity, policy enforcement continues to dictate access—both on-screen and online.
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