Dhurandhar Banned Across Gulf Region Due to Anti-Pakistan Narrative: Report

Mumbai: Ranveer Singh-starring spy thriller film Dhurandhar has not been allowed to be released in six Gulf countries. These countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, where it was not approved by the censor board. According to the report, the authorities of these countries considered the story of the film to have an “anti-Pakistan” theme; hence, it was not allowed to be screened.

The film team made several efforts to release Dhurandhar in the global market, but the censor board in each Gulf country refused to release it. The Gulf region has always been a major overseas market for Bollywood films, so this ban is likely to have a direct impact on the worldwide earnings of Dhurandhar.

A blast at the box office in India and abroad

Despite this, Dhurandhar is performing brilliantly at the domestic box office. Within a few days of its release, the film has registered huge collections in India and is also collecting good numbers of revenues from some other international markets. But due to non-release in Gulf countries, there may be a hole in foreign collections.

Why is the subject of the film controversial?

According to the reports, Dhurandhar's story contains some sensitive messages against Pakistan, which do not match the censorship rules of those countries. Because of this, both critics and the censor board objected to the content of the film and decided not to release it.
This is not the first time that a Bollywood film has been banned in the Middle East. Even before this, some Indian films were not allowed to be released in the Gulf market due to political or cultural reasons. This is the reason why the situation with Dhurandhar is not like anything new, but it is being considered a big blow for Ranveer Singh's film.

Reactions of fans and makers

After this ban, the audience on social media has become more curious about the film. Many people are saying that if the Gulf countries have imposed a ban, then the film will definitely have power. Some critics are questioning this decision as to why such strict restrictions are imposed. The makers have also expressed disappointment, but at present there is no concrete news about its withdrawal or permission for release after cuts.

While on one hand the global release plan of Dhurandhar has been affected, on the other hand its popularity and discussion are increasing in India and other countries. Now what remains to be seen is how much success the film achieves in the future and whether the situation changes in the Gulf countries in the future or not.