- Indian films are banned in Pakistan, yet Dhurandhar was easily available at a marketplace
- Dhurandhar topped Netflix's weekly Top 10 list in both India and Pakistan after its release
- Pirated CDs and pendrives of the film continue to be sold in Pakistan despite digital streaming
YouTuber Karl Rock, who is based in India, recently found pirated copies of Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, being openly sold in Pakistan for as little as PKR 50 (approximately Rs 16). Rock, who is originally from New Zealand but married to an Indian, was documenting his visit to Karachi's well-known Rainbow Centre - a marketplace regarded as a hub of pirated content - when he stumbled upon a shopkeeper selling copies of the popular Indian movie.
Rock expressed surprise at how easily the film could be purchased at such a low price in Pakistan. "Indian films are banned in Pakistan, but look what I found," Rock can be heard saying in the video, adding: "This is a new film from India?
"This is an Indian film, Dhurandhar. It has been released recently," the shopkeeper replies.
"Ye film kitne rupay ki hai? (How much for the movie?)" Rock asks the shopkeeper, who responds, "Sir, it is for Rs 50 PKR (Rs 16 INR)."
Rock also highlighted that Ranveer Singh is Sindhi and that his grandparents came to India from Pakistan during Partition.
After setting historic benchmarks at the box office, Dhurandhar premiered on Netflix on January 30 and, within its first week of streaming, climbed to the top of the platform's weekly Top 10 list. At one point, Dhurandhar occupied the numero uno spot in both India and Pakistan, highlighting the mass appeal of the movie.
Check The Viral Clip Here:
"It's Crazy"
As the video went viral, Indian social media users were astonished by the mass appeal of the movie in Pakistan and how CDs and pendrives were still being used to pirate content.
"A film bashing Pakistan is being loved in Pakistan, lol," said one user. Another added, "Still selling pirated films is crazy... Still remember 15 years ago or so my cousin brought CDs of pirated movies."
One commented: "The movie is banned by Pakistan government, but it is getting pirated normally, and it is also the top trending Netflix movie. Make it make sense. (sic)"
Another said, "We can still buy films on a pen drive and CD in Pakistan? This trend was over here before at least 10 years. Strange. (sic)"
Recently, Dhurandhar producer Jyoti Deshpande noted the "unprecedented" reach of the movie, stating that while it was only released in one language, it has still emerged as the most-watched film in Pakistan.
"The success of Dhurandhar 1 in just one language has been so unprecedented. It has left behind South films. The contribution from the southern states, even for the Hindi original, is three times that of another successful Hindi film. It is the most-watched film in Pakistan too. Many people from the industry who I deeply respect have told me that there is life before Dhurandhar and there is life after Dhurandhar; you have changed the grammar of storytelling," Deshpande said in an interview.
The story of Dhurandhar will continue with Dhurandhar 2, which is set to hit theatres on March 19.
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