Aditya Dhar’s action-packed spy thriller Dhurandhar is creating a storm at the Indian box office, entering the ₹200-crore club within its first week. Released on 5 December, the film earned ₹27 crore on Day 7 pushing its total to ₹207.25 crore. Featuring an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and child actor Sara Arjun, the film is inspired by ‘Operation Lyari’ and has been praised for its gripping story, powerful action sequences.
However, the film’s overseas journey has hit a major roadblock. Dhurandhar has been banned in all major Gulf countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The film has reportedly been labelled “anti-Pakistan,” leading to its denial of release in these regions. As a result, Pakistan has also not screened the film.
This is not the first Bollywood film to face such censorship. Movies like Fighter, Sky Force, The Diplomat, Article 370, Tiger 3, The Kashmir Files, and even Aditya Dhar’s debut film Uri: The Surgical Strike have previously been restricted in parts of the Middle East due to political sensitivities. Despite the bans, Dhurandhar continues to dominate the domestic box office.
