Bollywood film 'Dhurandhar,' starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, faced a significant setback after being banned in several Middle Eastern countries, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹90 crore. The film, which was released on December 5, 2025, has become the highest-grossing Indian film of the year, earning over ₹1100 crore worldwide. Despite its global success, the ban in key Gulf markets impacted its potential earnings.
The ban, reportedly due to the film's "anti-Pakistan" messaging related to its inspiration from Operation Lyari, prevented its release in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, as well as Pakistan. These countries are typically strong markets for Indian films, especially action films, making the absence of 'Dhurandhar' particularly noticeable.
Parnab Kapadia, the film's distributor, revealed in an interview with CNN-News18 that the ban translated to at least a $10 million (approximately ₹90 crore) box office loss. Kapadia explained that action films traditionally perform well in the Middle East, expressing the belief that 'Dhurandhar' should have received a release in the region. Despite the financial setback, Kapadia acknowledged the right of each territory to enforce its own rules and regulations, noting that 'Dhurandhar' was not the first film to be denied release. He cited 'Fighter' and several other films as examples of previous bans in the region.
Despite the ban, 'Dhurandhar' achieved considerable success in overseas markets, grossing $27.5 million internationally within 26 days. North America was a particularly strong market, contributing $17 million to the film's overseas earnings. This performance helped push the film's worldwide collection past ₹1100 crore, making it Ranveer Singh's first film to cross this mark.
Kapadia also pointed out that the December holiday season helped mitigate the impact of the ban. Many people from the Middle East travel to Europe and North America during this period, providing an opportunity for them to watch the film in theaters.
'Dhurandhar' is reportedly inspired by real-life incidents, geopolitical conflicts, and the covert operations of RAW. The plot is loosely based on events surrounding Operation Lyari, a crackdown against gangs and crime syndicates in Karachi, Pakistan. The film has received mixed-to-positive reviews, with praise for its cast, direction, action sequences, and production values, though its runtime and pacing have faced some criticism. A sequel, 'Dhurandhar: Part 2,' is scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.
