Dhurandhar: Aditya Dhar’s recently released high-octane movie Dhurandhar has taken the internet by storm. The spy thriller Ranveer Singh in lead role along with Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Sara Arjun in key roles. Dhurandhar opened with impressive numbers at the box office and has already crossed Rs 200 crore mark, making it Ranveer Singh’s one of the best releases ever. Ahead of the release, the movie has already witnessed major controversies for its storyline. Now recent reports suggest that Dhurandhar has been banned in six countries.
According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, Dhurandhar won't be released in all the Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The report revealed that the major reason for the film getting banned is the apprehension of it being anti-Pakistan. Bollywood Hungama’s report stated, "Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have not released Dhurandhar. There were apprehensions that this would happen as the film is perceived as an ‘anti-Pakistan film’. Also, in the past, such films have failed to procure a release in this region. Yet, the team of Dhurandhar made an attempt, but sadly, all the countries did not approve of the theme of the film. This is why Dhurandhar hasn't been released in any of the Gulf countries.”
Meanwhile, this isnt first time, earlier Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone-starrer Fighter (2024) faced an initial ban in all Gulf countries except the UAE. The film's portrayal of the Pulwama attack drew criticism, with some sections in Pakistan accusing it of having an ‘anti-Pakistan’ agenda and exploiting a sensitive issue. A day later, even the UAE suspended its release. The makers of Fighter submitted a re-edited version to the UAE ministry, removing some 'problematic' scenes and dialogues, but the ministry rejected it.
Other recent Indian films have also faced bans in the Middle East. This year, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Sky Force and the John Abraham-starrer The Diplomat were banned in several Middle Eastern countries due to their content. Article 370 (2024), which focused on the revocation of a controversial article in Kashmir, was refused certification in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). Other movies like Salman Khan's Tiger 3 (2023) was banned in Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. The Kashmir Files (2022) was banned in several Gulf states, though the UAE initially banned it before clearing it with an adults-only certificate.
Dhurandhar World Wide Box Office Collection
According to a report in Koimoi, Aditya Dhar’s high-octane movie will witness a surge at the box office today. Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 225 crore, Ranveer Singh films has already earned Rs 218 crores net and Rs 257.24 crores gross in India. The movie has already recovered more than half of its budget. As per trade tracker Sacnilk, Dhurandhar has earned around Rs 3.06 crore at the Indian box office as of 1 pm on Friday. The film’s total collection in India currently stands at Rs 210.85 crore. The second part of Dhurandar is expected to hit theatres in March 2026.