Ranveer Singh’s latest film Dhurandhar is seeing strong success worldwide, but the movie is facing serious distribution challenges in the Gulf region. The film has earned remarkable numbers internationally, collecting Rs44.08 crore overseas within just four days of its release. This strong performance shows that global audiences are responding well to the film’s storyline and production.
However, industry insiders say that the total overseas collection of Dhurandhar could have been much higher if it had been released in Gulf countries. The film was not approved for release in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE. According to sources, authorities in these countries felt the film carried “anti-Pakistan” elements, which raised concerns about its suitability for their markets.
This situation is not new for Indian cinema. Films dealing with political or Pakistan-related content often face scrutiny in the Gulf. Despite the production team’s efforts to address the issue, none of the GCC countries cleared Dhurandhar for release. As a result, the film has missed out on a major overseas market that typically contributes significantly to Indian box office numbers.
A similar situation occurred in 2024 when Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s film Fighter faced restrictions across all Gulf countries except the UAE. The UAE later suspended the movie just one day after release. Even after the filmmakers submitted a revised version, authorities did not approve it.
The pattern continued with other titles. Akshay Kumar’s Sky Force and John Abraham’s The Diplomat also faced bans in multiple Middle Eastern countries due to stories involving Pakistan. Earlier, Article 370 (2024) could not secure GCC certification. Tiger 3 (2023) was banned in Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. The Kashmir Files (2022) was rejected in several Gulf nations, although the UAE later allowed it with an adults-only rating.
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These repeated restrictions show that films touching sensitive political topics remain a challenge for distributors in the GCC. Even with strong demand from international audiences, movies like Dhurandhar continue to face hurdles that affect their full box office potential.
