Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar banned in Gulf countries ​over portray of Pakistan

Dhurandhar is banned in Gulf countries

Ranveer Singh starrer spy action thriller Dhurandhar opened in the theatres on December 5 and is enjoying a decent box office collection in India. However, the film has been banned in the Gulf countries, which may affect its gross collection.

According to a trade website, Dhurandhar has crossed the Rs 200 crore mark net in India in just seven days. Meanwhile, the film has collected Rs 44.5 crore overseas.

Several media reports have suggested that the film’s revenue could have been much higher if the movie had been allowed to be released in the Gulf countries.

According to Bollywood Hungama, the film reportedly was not released in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE.

The reports have suggested that despite the film’s crew’s constant effort, the listed regions didn’t allow the release of the film, which has allegedly been perceived as 'anti-Pakistan', and they have not approved the film’s content.

However, this is not the first time that Indian films have faced a ban in the Gulf countries. Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, was initially restricted in every Gulf nation save the United Arab Emirates in 2024.

The portrayal of the Pulwama incident was criticised by some sections of Pakistan, who called it "anti-Pakistan propaganda."

Interestingly, Fighter was banned by the UAE barely one day after its release. The UAE authorities also rejected a revised version that the filmmakers presented to resolve the problem.

Due to content pertaining to Pakistan, John Abraham's The Diplomat and Akshay Kumar's Sky Force were also prohibited in a number of Middle Eastern nations that same year.

The spy thriller Dhurandhar is based on the actual events of Operation Lyari in Pakistan and the purported involvement of Indian intelligence. Along with Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun, the film's main cast includes Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, and R Madhavan.

Also Read: Aditya Dhar applauds brother-in-law Ojas Gautam for making Dhurandhar’s powerful trailer: "He hadn’t slept for almost 72 to 76 hours"

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar features Ranveer Singh in the central role of Hamza Ali, an undercover operative planted inside the Pakistani mafia by IB chief Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan). The film marks the first collaboration between Ranveer and Aditya.

The film is about an underworld saga following a network of criminals, informants and operatives whose lives intersect, navigating covert operations, espionage and betrayals.