Bollywood Hungama reports that the film has been banned in six Gulf countries over concerns about its political content and anti-Pakistan themes.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar hit theaters on December 5 and stars Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun.
The film has already crossed the 200 crore mark in India within its first week.
Analysts say its overseas earnings could have been significantly higher if it had released in the UAE and other GCC markets, which are typically strong for Bollywood films.
However, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE reportedly denied clearance, preventing the film’s release across the Gulf.
A source told Bollywood Hungama that distributors anticipated the possibility of a ban, noting that politically sensitive or anti-Pakistan films have historically struggled to secure approval in the Middle East.
Despite efforts from the team, all six countries reportedly “did not approve of the theme of the film.”
The ban is expected to impact Dhurandhar’s international box office collection.
This situation is reminiscent of previous politically charged Indian films, such as Sky Force, The Diplomat, Article 370, Tiger 3, and The Kashmir Files, which also faced restrictions in parts of the Gulf.
Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s Fighter was initially banned in the UAE, and even a re-edited version was later rejected.
Dhurandhar follows Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal (R. Madhavan) as he leads a mission to dismantle a terror network in Pakistan.
Ranveer Singh plays a Punjabi youth recruited from prison and trained to infiltrate Karachi’s criminal underworld.
Meanwhile, the makers have already confirmed a sequel. Dhurandhar 2 is set to hit cinemas on March 19, 2026, where it will face a major box-office clash with Yash’s highly anticipated film, Toxic.