Mumbai: Ranveer Singh’s latest spy thriller, Dhurandhar, has hit a roadblock in the Middle East, with six Gulf countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — reportedly banning the film due to its perceived anti-Pakistan content.
The film, which has been performing strongly in India, was denied clearance for theatrical release across the Gulf, a key overseas market for Bollywood productions. “There were apprehensions that this would happen as the film is perceived as an ‘anti-Pakistan film’. The team still made an attempt, but none of the countries approved the film’s theme. That’s why Dhurandhar hasn’t been released in any Gulf territory,” a source told Bollywood Hungama.
This move reflects a familiar pattern, as Indian films dealing with cross-border or politically sensitive subjects often face heightened scrutiny in the Middle East. Earlier, films such as Fighter, Sky Force, The Diplomat, Article 370, Tiger 3, and The Kashmir Files encountered similar restrictions in the region. Notably, Fighter was pulled from UAE cinemas within a day of release, and a revised cut was also rejected.
Despite the Gulf ban, Dhurandhar is performing well domestically. It crossed the Rs 200 crore net mark in India within its first week and has earned Rs 44.5 crore in overseas markets outside the Gulf.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, returning to direction after six years since his 2019 hit Uri: The Surgical Strike, the film sparked speculation that it was based on Major Mohit Sharma’s life. Dhar, however, clarified that the story draws from real-world geopolitics and covert R&AW operations.
Inspired by Operation Lyari in Pakistan and India’s alleged intelligence involvement, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh alongside Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal. Strong word of mouth and its geopolitical backdrop have contributed to its success, making it one of the biggest box office draws of the year, despite missing out on the Gulf market.
