Trade reports indicate that Border 2 has not been cleared for exhibition in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. While authorities in these countries have not issued formal censorship orders, distributors confirmed that the film was denied screening approvals due to content concerns linked to regional geopolitical sensitivities.
Set during the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Border 2 dramatizes the experiences of Indian soldiers stationed along the western front. Alongside Deol, the film stars Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in key roles. The narrative blends fictional characters with historical events, depicting battlefield sacrifice and military strategy against Pakistani forces.
Industry observers note that Gulf countries have traditionally exercised caution toward films that depict Pakistan in an adversarial light, given their diplomatic relations and sizeable South Asian expatriate populations. As a result, such films often face non-release rather than explicit bans, effectively blocking access to a lucrative overseas market.
The setback mirrors the experience of Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller Dhurandhar, released earlier this year. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film emerged as the highest-grossing Indian production globally in 2025 but was also denied release across several Middle Eastern territories, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Distributors estimate that the absence from Gulf screens cost Dhurandhar nearly ₹90 crore in potential overseas revenue.
Despite these losses, both films have performed strongly in India and other international markets. Trade analysts suggest that patriotic action dramas continue to draw large domestic audiences, even as their overseas prospects remain uneven due to regional sensitivities.
Distributors say the Gulf region remains critical for Indian cinema, particularly for big-budget action and war films that traditionally attract strong diaspora viewership. However, content restrictions linked to geopolitical narratives continue to pose challenges.
For Border 2, producers are banking on sustained domestic collections and performance in markets such as North America, the UK and Australia to offset the Middle East shortfall. Industry insiders say the film’s long-term success will depend on word-of-mouth and repeat viewership rather than overseas reach alone.
The repeated non-release of such titles highlights the complex intersection of cinema, politics and diplomacy, and the constraints Indian filmmakers face when historical conflicts become the backdrop for commercial storytelling.
