The Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) has appealed to PM Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene in what it has described as a "unilateral" ban on the Hindi film Dhurandhar in the United Arab Emirates and several other Middle Eastern countries.
What's Happening
- In its letter to the Prime Minister, the IMPPA stated that Dhurandhar has been banned in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, despite having received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
- The letter read, "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 the above 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," it further read.
- The appeal follows reports last month that the film had been barred from release across several Gulf countries.
- The IMPPA, which described itself as the country's largest and oldest producers' association, said India maintains friendly relations and regular business engagement with the countries involved 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. We shall be highly obliged to you if you could kindly do the needful at the earliest as it is a matter of great importance to the country," the association said.
- The letter has also been sent to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Background
Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, best known for Uri: The Surgical Strike, Dhurandhar is a high-octane spy thriller starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role.
The film traces covert intelligence operations against the backdrop of major geopolitical and terror events, including the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Much of the story is set in Lyari, Karachi, an area known for its history of gang wars and violent turf battles.
Released on December 5, Dhurandhar has emerged as the highest-earning Hindi film ever, with a nett India collection of over Rs 831 crore. The film's worldwide gross has crossed Rs 1,220 crore.
Produced by Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar under B62 Studios in association with Jio Studios, the film also features Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, R Madhavan and Rakesh Bedi in key roles.
