‘Dhurandhar’ Banned in Six Gulf Nations Over Anti-Pakistan Concerns; Film Maintains Strong Run in India

The ban, confirmed four hours ago, has revived debate over political sensitivities that often shape the approval of Indian films in Middle Eastern markets. Distributors involved with the project said concerns had surfaced early, but producers still pursued a clearance process across the region. None of the countries approved the film for release, citing issues with its thematic portrayal of Pakistan.

The decision mirrors earlier restrictions on several Hindi films dealing with cross-border tensions, including Fighter, Sky Force, Article 370, The Diplomat, Tiger 3 and The Kashmir Files. In one case, Fighter opened briefly in the UAE before being pulled within a day, after which an edited version was also rejected.

Despite the setback, Dhurandhar has crossed ₹200 crore net in India within a week, buoyed by strong advance bookings and continued word-of-mouth momentum. Overseas earnings stand at ₹44.5 crore, excluding the Gulf markets, which traditionally contribute significantly to international box office totals for major Bollywood releases.

The film marks director Aditya Dhar’s return after a six-year hiatus since Uri: The Surgical Strike. While speculation suggested the storyline drew from the life of Major Mohit Sharma, Dhar clarified that the script is rooted in real geopolitical events and covert R&AW operations. The narrative reportedly draws inspiration from Operation Lyari in Pakistan.

Featuring Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan and Arjun Rampal alongside Singh, Dhurandhar blends fictionalised espionage with references to actual intelligence missions.

The ban underscores the challenges filmmakers face when addressing sensitive regional politics, particularly in markets where diplomatic considerations strongly influence censorship decisions. Yet, for now, the film’s domestic performance indicates its commercial trajectory remains largely unaffected.