India immediately bans all Pakistani shows, songs & films on OTT after Operation Sindoor

The Government of India has issued an official advisory directing all OTT platforms, media streaming services and digital intermediaries operating in the country to immediately discontinue all media content originating from Pakistan. The advisory, dated May 8, 2025, was issued under Part II of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. It instructs platforms to remove web series, films, songs, podcasts and any other digital content linked to Pakistan, regardless of whether it is offered via subscription or free access.

The advisory emphasizes that intermediaries must ensure their hosted or streamed content does not threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity, national security, or public order. It refers to the Code of Ethics under the IT Rules, which states that publishers must exercise due caution and discretion while publishing any content that could affect India’s sovereignty, security, public order, or friendly relations with foreign countries. The Ministry stated that several terrorist attacks in India have had cross-border links with both state and non-state actors based in Pakistan.

The advisory follows the terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, along with one Nepali citizen. In response to this attack, Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor, a military operation that took place on May 7 between 1:04 AM and 1:30 AM. During the operation, Indian forces targeted nine terror sites located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The advisory states that it has been issued “in the interest of national security” and was cleared by the competent authority in the Ministry.

The Indian government has also acted on the digital presence of Pakistani public figures. Social media accounts of several Pakistani artists are now inaccessible from within India. These include accounts belonging to actors and musicians such as Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hania Amir, Atif Aslam, Farhan Saeed, Saba Qamar, Adnan Siddiqui, and Ali Sethi. Indian users attempting to access these pages are shown a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

The decision also affects upcoming projects featuring Pakistani talent. Actor Fawad Khan was set to return to Indian cinema with the film Abir Gulaal, alongside Vaani Kapoor. The release status of the film remains unclear following the advisory. The move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following Operation Sindoor and related cross-border developments. The advisory mandates immediate compliance from all relevant digital platforms operating in the Indian jurisdiction.