When Aamir Khan Refused To Release Dangal In Pakistan — Here’s What Really Happened

The film that won hearts worldwide never made it to Pakistani theaters—know why Aamir Khan chose to hold back Dangal.

- May 15, 2025 | 4:31 PM IST

Aamir Khan Refuses Pakistan Dangal Release ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Nitesh Tiwari’s widely acclaimed sports drama Dangal, starring Aamir Khan in the lead role, was released in theatres in 2016. Made on a budget of Rs. 70 crores, the film grossed around a whopping Rs. 2070 crores at the box office globally (according to Sacnilk) and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. But did you know that Dangal did not get a release in Pakistan? Read on to know the reason behind it.

Why Wasn’t Dangal Released In Pakistan?

According to an earlier report by Business Today, Aamir Khan decided not to release Dangal in Pakistan because of some peculiar demands by their censor board. Their censor board wanted to remove the scenes where the Indian National Flag was shown, and the Indian National Anthem was played. However, Aamir Khan felt that since Dangal was a sports biopic with no reference to Pakistan, removing those scenes from the film did not make sense. Moreover, neither the scenes nor the film were jingoistic in nature. And that’s why it was decided not to release Dangal in Pakistan.

Dangal – Plot & Cast

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film’s underlying plot follows the story of a former wrestler, Mahavir Singh Phogat (played by Aamir Khan), who trains his daughters, Geeta Phogat (played by Fatima Sana Shaikh) and Babita Kumari (played by Sanya Malhotra) to get a gold medal for the country in professional wrestling. But to achieve his dream, he faces various societal pressures and backlash from the villagers. The film also features Sakshi Tanwar, Zaira Wasim, Aparshakti Khurana, Ritvik Sahore, and Girish Kulkarni in pivotal roles.

Dangal – Critical Reception & Audience Feedback

The film received a big thumbs up from both critics and audiences. It has a critics’ score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and a user rating of 8.3/10 on IMDb. Dangal is also listed among the top 250 highest-rated movies of all time on IMDb. Dangal bagged four Filmfare Awards in the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Action categories, in addition to winning a National Film Award.