Popular Pakistani music has been abruptly removed from Spotify in India, leaving fans dismayed and sparking widespread disappointment among cross-border music lovers.
Songs like “Maand,” “Jhol,” and “Faasle”, among many others, vanished from the platform late Wednesday night, marking a significant cultural setback for listeners who have long enjoyed the musical exchange between India and Pakistan.
The removal follows a recent advisory issued by the Indian government on May 8, which instructed Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, streaming services, and digital intermediaries to immediately halt the availability of content originating from Pakistan, according to a report by NDTV.
“OTT platforms, media streaming platforms, and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts, and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription-based model or otherwise, having their origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,” the advisory stated.
The directive, issued under Part II of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, cites national security concerns, particularly following “Operation Sindoor” and the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The effects of this directive are being felt beyond Spotify. Platforms like YouTube Music have also seen notable changes, including the removal of Pakistani artists from film promotional materials.
For instance, the album cover of the Bollywood film “Sanam Teri Kasam” was updated on both Spotify and YouTube Music to exclude the image of Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane. Similarly, in the poster for “Raees,” the image of Mahira Khan was removed, leaving only the Indian actor featured.
Additionally, the well-known song “Buddhu Sa Mann” from “Kapoor and Sons,” which starred Fawad Khan, is now unavailable on YouTube for Indian viewers. The video displays the message: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country.” The visual artwork accompanying the track has also been altered to remove Fawad Khan’s presence.
Commenting on the changes, Deepak Mukut, producer of Sanam Teri Kasam, told Hindustan Times:
“They didn’t consult me. It’s their decision. Whatever our government instructs, we all have to comply.”
This latest development underscores how political tensions continue to impact cultural exchange and artistic collaboration between the two neighboring nations.
