Ban on Dhurandhar: IMPPA Seeks PM Modi's Intervention to Revive Indian Spy Thriller in Middle East

Image Source: Internet

The Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to help lift a unilateral ban on the record-breaking spy thriller Dhurandhar in several Middle Eastern nations. The film, starring Ranveer Singh, has been a massive hit in India, crossing the ₹800 crore mark in net domestic collections and becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. However, it has been pulled from screens in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, prompting the IMPPA to seek high-level government intervention. In a letter to the Prime Minister, IMPPA President Abhay Sinha expressed concern over the ban, stating that the film had passed all domestic regulatory hurdles before its release. The association noted that the Middle East has traditionally been a stronghold for Indian cinema, and the sudden ban is unexpected given the strong rapport between India and these nations. The IMPPA highlighted that the ban is a suppression of freedom of expression and a significant loss in overseas revenue for the film's producers. They appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and take up the matter with the concerned authorities in these countries, requesting that the ban be revoked at the earliest. The reason behind the ban is unclear, but rumors suggest it may be due to the film's perceived anti-Pakistan stance and politically sensitive themes. However, the IMPPA has stood firmly behind the film's producers, and the industry is now watching closely to see if the Indian government's diplomatic channels can clear the path for the original's return to Gulf theaters. As the IMPPA's appeal to the Prime Minister continues, the fate of Dhurandhar in the Middle East remains uncertain. The industry is holding its breath, hoping that the government's intervention will help revive the film's prospects in these key markets.