Dhurandhar hits Middle East wall over ‘anti-Pakistan’ stance

Ranveer Singh’s latest espionage thriller, Dhurandhar, soars at Indian box offices but crosses a serious hurdle on an international scale, specifically within the Middle East region. It was delayed or completely banned from releases within six Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, as well as UAE and Bahrain, due to an ‘Anti-Pakistan’ plot.

Dhurandhar sparks debate as Gulf Ban renews scrutiny on Bollywood’s political thrillers

The complete ban on screens in the Gulf Cooperation Council belt, a traditionally lucrative market for Bollywood films because of its large South Asian diaspora, has again brought forth the evergreen discussion on the extra diligence Indian films with international undertones receive within this region.

Although efforts were made by the filmmakers to get an approval for a theatre release, it was refused all together. According to a source, it had been anticipated that there would be a ban on the film’s production. “All the countries have not approved the theme of the film. That's why Dhurandhar hasn't been released in any of the Gulf countries," said the source.

It’s not an isolated case. The following big-budget Indian productions have also struggled with similar constraints in the Middle East: Fighter, Article 370, Tiger 3, and The Kashmir Files. Fighter, for example, had initially been released in UAE but had been removed shortly after and an alternate cut had also been denied.

Despite the tough setback that its foreign earnings have suffered, Dhurandhar, as it marks the first project for director Aditya Dhar after 2019's Uri: The Surgical Strike, is doing phenomenally well in the country. Based on an operation known as Operation Lyari and some alleged Indian intelligence operations, it has already broken the ₹200 crore net collection barrier within a week in India. Worldwide, it's already beyond the ₹300 crore barrier.

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