Gulf Nations Ban Bollywood Film *Dhruvandhar* Over ‘Anti-Pakistan Propaganda’

Mumbai: Bollywood’s latest spy-thriller *Dhruvandhar* may be enjoying massive success in India, but the film is facing major setbacks in the Middle East. According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, six Gulf countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — have imposed a ban on the film, citing “anti-Pakistan propaganda.”

A source quoted in the report stated that the movie was perceived as containing content against Pakistan, leading authorities across the Gulf to deny it release approval. Despite the filmmakers’ efforts to secure distribution in the region — considered a key overseas market for Bollywood — the requests were rejected in all six countries. As a result, *Dhruvandhar* has not been released anywhere in the Gulf.

This is not the first time Indian films have faced such restrictions in the Middle East. Previously, *Fighter*, *Sky Force*, *The Diplomat*, *Article 370*, *Tiger 3* and *The Kashmir Files* were also banned over similar concerns. Notably, *Fighter* was pulled from cinemas in the UAE just one day after its release, and even a revised version failed to receive approval.

Despite the ban, *Dhruvandhar* continues to perform exceptionally well at the Indian box office. Released on December 5 across India and several other countries, the film has already collected ₹200 crore domestically and ₹44.5 crore globally — excluding revenue from the Gulf region.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rajesh Bedi. Numerous clips and songs from the film are trending on social media, earning widespread praise from users.