Pakistan regulates Asha Bhosle songs on TV, but Dhurandhar 2 and Karan Aujla tracks top Spotify charts

Indian media has been banned in Pakistan since 2018 but films and songs from here continue to top digital charts there.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued a show-cause notice to Geo News TV channel on Monday for airing a tribute to Indian singer Asha Bhosle after her death on Sunday. And even as the region has regulated Indian content on TV and in theatres since 2018, following a Supreme Court ruling, there’s not much they can do, as Dhurandhar 2 and Karan Aujla tracks top the charts in Pakistan.

Asha Bhosle's songs might be regulated on TV in Pakistan but Dhurandhar 2 songs can't be on digital platforms.

Asha Bhosle songs regulated in Pakistan

The PEMRA issued a notice to Geo News on Monday seeking an explanation as to why it aired ‘Indian content’ along with the news of Asha’s death. Asha passed away in Mumbai at the age of 92 due to multi-organ failure. PTI reports that the news channel is one of the leading ones in Pakistan and close to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government and the military establishment.

Azhar Abbas, MD of the channel, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them. In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle's stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did. Yet, Pakistan's electronic media regulator, PEMRA, has chosen to restrict this.”

He also added, “Asha Bhosle herself admired Pakistan's legendary singer Noor Jahan, whom she fondly called her "elder sister." She collaborated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and brought to life the poetry of great Urdu poets like Nasir Kazmi.” He further wrote, “In times of war and conflict, art and artists should not become casualties. Intellectuals, musicians, and creators are often the very voices that stand against hatred and division, and the ones who bring people closer together.”

Dhurandhar 2, Karan Aujla tracks top charts

Amid this, a cursory check of the Spotify charts in Pakistan indicates that PEMRA’s reach hasn’t yet extended to the digital space. Aditya Dhar’s Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge might have been banned from release in the region and Gulf countries, but the film’s tracks top the charts there. Songs from Tere Ishk Mein, Dhurandhar, Saiyaara and Ikkis also feature in the Top 50 there.

Dhurandhar 2 and Karan Aujla tracks take Spotify's top spots in Pakistan.

Dhurandhar 2 song, Jaiye Sajana, stands at #3 on Spotify’s Top Songs-Pakistan list this week with over 6 lakh plays, while Karan Aujla’s Boyfriend is at #6 with over 3 lakh plays. Even on Netflix Pakistan, the first part of Dhurandhar ranks #3, while Mardaani 3 and Vadh 2 take the first two spots. Happy Patel and the first two Mardaani films also made it to the Top 10. Dhurandhar, released on the OTT platform in January this year, also remained at the top of the list in Pakistan for a long time.

Asha was laid to rest on Monday with full state honours at the Shivaji Park Crematorium. Her son, Anand Bhosle, performed her last rites and her granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, looked bereaved. Numerous Bollywood celebrities, including Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, and Tabu, attended her funeral.