Ranveer Singh shoots for ‘Dhurandhar’ in Ludhiana village; Pak flags on set evoke sharp reactions

As the videos began circulating, many social media users sought to know why the authorities allowed Pakistani flags to be put up on Indian soil. “Hun eh vi ban hougi kyunki iss vich Pakistan da flag hai? (Will this also be banned as it has a Pakistani flag?),” a social media user asked on Instagram.

“Hun kithe gaye wadde desh bhagat.. iss film v jo shareaam Pakistan da jhanda lagaya hoya.. hun Ranveer Singh da vi virodh karo (Now where are the so-called patriots. These people have openly erected Pakistani flags in our country. Now oppose Ranveer Singh also),” posted another user.

“Aur Diljit ko hate karte hain (And they hate Diljit),” commented another, referring to a recent controversy over Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh’s film Sardaar Ji 3 which faced opposition over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir.

However, many social media users also felt that Dhurandhar’s script may have required erecting Pakistani flags to “depict action against terrorism in Pakistan.”

The Ludhiana police, meanwhile, confirmed that shooting for the action-drama directed by Aditya Dhar was held “with due permissions” in Khera village under the limits of Dehlon police station.

While the makers have not yet revealed the plot of Dhurandhar, it is widely speculated to be the biopic of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and a former spy who spent several years in Pakistan for undercover missions. Other actors in the film’s cast include R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt.

A Punjab-based crew member of the film said “some action scenes including explosive blasts” were shot in Ludhiana. “Though the scenes only last a few minutes, the entire setup took a lot of time due to which the team had to camp in Punjab for four to five days,” he said.

Villages in Ludhiana are often used as shooting locations for Bollywood films. The blockbuster Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal, a biopic of the Phogat sisters, was shot in Ludhiana, besides Salman Khan’s Sultan and Bharat.

Recently, Diljit Dosanjh’s film Sardar Ji 3 faced backlash in India over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. Following the criticism, the makers clarified that the film was shot much before the attack. They also decided to drop its release in India to “respect people’s sentiments.” The movie was subsequently released worldwide, including in Pakistan. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also come forward in Dosanjh’s support at the time.