Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar gets no screenings in Gulf countries

The makers of Dhurandhar attempted to secure a release in the Middle east but were denied clearance, allegedly due to Aditya Dhar-Ranveer Singh film’s political positioning.

Dhurandhar advance booking and box office collection: In comparison to the biggest Bollywood hits of the year, such as Chhaava and Saiyaara, the Ranveer Singh-starrer's advance bookings have been underwhelming so far.

Director Aditya Dhar's spy actioner Dhurandhar features Ranveer Singh in the lead role. (Credit: IMDb)

Despite all the criticism, Dhurandhar has managed to cross the Rs 300-crore global mark, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. The number could have climbed significantly higher had the film released in the Gulf countries. However, the movie is not being screened in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, allegedly for being “anti-Pakistan.” According to Bollywood Hungama, the makers attempted to secure a release in these markets but were denied clearance due to the film’s political positioning.

A source told the publication, “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’. In the past too, such films have failed to procure a release in this region. The team still made an attempt, but none of the countries approved the film’s theme. That’s why Dhurandhar hasn’t been released in any of the Gulf territories.”

Previously, Fighter faced a similar roadblock. The film starred Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. Fighter, which depicted the Pulwama attack, drew criticism from sections in Pakistan for “exploiting a sensitive issue.” Although the makers submitted a re-edited version for the Gulf markets, the UAE ministry rejected it as well.

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Other recent Hindi films which were not released in the region include Sky Force, The Diplomat, Article 370, and Tiger 3.

Directed by Aditya Dhar of URI fame, Dhurandhar features Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Rakesh Bedi, among others.

The film opened at Rs 28 crore in India, and has maintained strong momentum with Rs 23.25 crore on Monday and Rs 27 crore each on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Dhurandhar earned Rs 22.08 crore at the box office as of 9 PM.

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Aditya Dhar will release the second part of the film on March 19.

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