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Bollywood's 'Dhurandhar' to not be Released in GCC
Ranveer Singh’s Espionage Thriller Blockbuster to Skip Gulf Cinemas Amid Reports of Divisive Portrayal of Pakistan
- Publish date: since 7 hours Reading time: two min read
The highly anticipated Bollywood spy thriller, "Dhurandhar," starring A-list actor Ranveer Singh, will not be released in cinemas across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Industry insiders have confirmed the film has not been cleared for release, though regional distributors have refrained from providing an official reason for the block, according to a report from The National.
Indian media reports widely suggest that the decision to block the film's regional release is related to its divisive portrayal of Pakistan. Directed by Aditya Dhar, known for the 2019 blockbuster Uri: The Surgical Strike, "Dhurandhar" is an espionage thriller that follows an Indian spy infiltrating a militant group in Pakistan to dismantle a terrorist plot.
The sensitivity surrounding films with such geopolitical themes has previously led to similar issues in the region. For instance, recent Bollywood productions like the action film Fighter and Article 370, both touching upon the Kashmir issue and Pakistan-administered territories, were also not cleared for release in UAE cinemas.
Despite the regional ban, the film, which also stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal, has proven to be a massive box-office success in India. Since its release on December 5, the film has already earned more than 3.13 billion rupees (approximately $15.5 million) globally, far surpassing its production budget of 1.4 billion rupees. The film is slated for a two-part release, with the sequel, Dhurandhar: Part 2 – Revenge, scheduled to hit screens in March of next year.
Adding a unique local flavor to the blockbuster, a song by veteran Bahraini rapper Flipperachi titled Fa9la features prominently in the film. This inclusion has helped the track achieve the coveted No. 1 spot on Spotify's Viral chart, showcasing the cross-cultural impact of the film despite its non-release in the GCC. This situation highlights the complex balancing act that Bollywood films with political undertones face when aiming for a global release, especially in markets sensitive to depictions of regional conflicts.