Producers' association writes letter to PM Modi, seeks lifting of Dhurandhar ban in UAE

Ranveer Singh's film Dhurandhar continues to break new records at the box office. However, it has faced significant losses due to its ban in Middle Eastern countries. Despite the film's impressive earnings and ongoing success, the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting his help to have the movie released in the Gulf region.

Just one week after its release on 5 Dec, Dhurandhar was unanimously banned by several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Producers' Association appeal letter to PM Modi

Aditya Dhar's Dhruandhar has been banned in the Middle East countries, which is a huge market for Bollywood movies, as it's home to several Indians.

As the movie continues to shatter box office records, the IMPPA wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to intervene regarding the unilateral and uncalled-for ban imposed on the film.

Signed by IMPPA President Abhay Sinha, the letter reads,''We earnestly appeal to your kind self to intervene regarding the unilateral and uncalled-for ban imposed on the film 'Dhurandhar' by the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Our member producer has made this film and has released the same after getting certification by the Central Board of Film Certification and the ban imposed by [these] countries is a suppression of the Freedom of Expression of our member as the film has emerged as one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema.”

Screenshot of the letter Photograph: (X)

The association’s appeal continued: “We as representatives of the largest and oldest Producers' Association, IMPPA, request you earnestly with folded hands to kindly intervene as UAE Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia are India-friendly countries and we conduct regular business with them across multiple sectors. We therefore humbly request that the Government of India take up this matter with the concerned authorities in these countries and make efforts to ensure that freedom of expression is respected and the ban is revoked at the earliest.”

How much loss did Dhurandhar suffer due to the ban in the Middle East?

The movie is having a golden run at the box office, and not only in the domestic market but also overseas. However, due to the movie's ban in several Gulf countries, the highly acclaimed movie has faced major financial loss.

Speaking about the impact of the ban, Dhurandhar’s distributor, Pranab Kapadia, revealed in an interview with News18 that the film has faced a huge financial loss of atleast $10 million (around Rs 90 crore) box office.

“I think this is at least a $10 million (around ₹90 crore) box office loss, because traditionally action films have always performed very well in the Middle East. Therefore, we strongly feel that the film should have received a release there,” Pranab said.

Why is Dhurandhar banned in Gulf countries?

Released on Dec 5, the movie, which comes with a cast of superstars, including R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, and Rakesh Bedi, tells the story of an Indian spy, who has been sent to Pakistan to infiltrate terrorist groups. A week after its release, the movie didn't get clearance for release in the Middle East, allegedly due to its anti-Pakistan stance. The makers tried to get the clearance, but unfortunately, the movie didn't get the approval.