Dhurandhar Reclaims Lost Viewership In Gulf Nations After Being Banned From Theatrical Release

Dhurandhar emerged as the highest grossing Hindi film of all time after releasing on December 5 last year. Even after running in cinema halls for two months now and despite the film now being available for streaming on OTT, the Aditya Dhar directorial continues to attract footfalls. The collections of Dhurandhar would have been higher had it released in the Gulf countries since the market for big ticket Bollywood movies is good there.

Dhurandhar didn’t find a release in six Gulf nations, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), due its alleged anti-Pakistan narrative. However, after its OTT debut, Dhurandhar has emerged as one of the most viewed movies in some of these countries where it didn't release in theatres, including Pakistan.

Also read: Timothee Acts Sneaky After Being 'Caught' With Actress In Paris Hotel

While Pakistanis are sharing reels depicting the "real Lyari" comparing and contrasting it with how the township in Karachi has been recreated in Dhurandhar, many are even praising its realism and production design. Earlier, as it ran in theatres, Dhurandhar became one of the most pirated movies in Pakistan.

Also read: Govinda Attacked At Home, Claims Actor's Manager: Thank God He Had A Gun

Meanwhile, the movie is currently trending at No 1 position on Netflix across several territories, including India, Pakistan, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE. The film is currently ranked No 7 in Saudi Arabia and No 3 in Kuwait, as per a report in Bollywood Hungama.

Meanwhile, the sequel to Dhurandhar, titled Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is all set to release on March 19, coinciding with the Eid holiday. The second installment is expected to perform on par or even better at the box office than the record-breaking first part. While uncertain at this moment, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is likely to be banned in the Gulf nations as the story will pick up right after part 1 concluded. The storyline revolves around an Indian spy infiltrating gangs and terror networks in Pakistan. Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun will reprise their roles in Dhurandhar 2.