Despite facing a ban in Pakistan, Dhurandhar has emerged as the country’s most pirated film, recording over 2 million illegal downloads in just two weeks.The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ spy action thriller, which is under the direction of Aditya Dhar, is said to have beaten the piracy figures of Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees and Rajinikanth’s 2.0, thereby indicating the extreme curiosity of the people of the neighboring country towards the movie.

As per a report by IANS, the prohibition has not been very effective in reducing the demand for Dhurandhar. The film appears to have been in such great demand that people in Pakistan have been watching it through illegal means. It seems that the movie’s cover is just that which has made more people talk about it and hence more people want to watch it.

Controversy and Cross-Border Interest

Dhurandhar covers a lot of sensitive past events such as the 1999 Kandahar hijack, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and the Lyari gang wars. It is said that the depiction of Lyari has caused the angry reaction of some people in Pakistan. ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌In response, there have been announcements of a counter-film titled Mera Lyari, aimed at presenting an alternative narrative.

The controversy has deepened with the Pakistan Peoples Party reportedly filing an FIR against the cast and crew of Dhurandhar in a Karachi court. The objections center around the depiction of images of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in the film. Despite or perhaps because of these developments, interest in the movie continues to grow, leading to widespread piracy.

Strong Box Office Performance

Even amid bans in Pakistan and some Gulf countries, Dhurandhar has delivered a stellar box office performance. On Day 13 (second Wednesday), the film collected Rs. 25.5 crore, marking its lowest single-day earning so far but pushing its India net collection to Rs. 437.25 crore. The worldwide box office total stands at Rs. 674.50 crore, with overseas collections contributing approximately Rs. 150 crore.

The film has grossed over Rs. 650 crore globally within just 13 days, cementing its status as one of the biggest releases of the year.

About the Film

Dhurandhar​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is an action spy thriller of a genre that is a product of the singular vision of Aditya Dhar who not only wrote and directed the film but also co-produced it. The film ensemble includes, among others, Ranveer Singh who plays the lead, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. Manav Gohil, Danish Pandor, Saumya Tandon, Gaurav Gera, and Naveen Kaushik appeared as the film’s supporting characters.

With such a phenomenal box office achievement as never before, a positive word of mouth on the net, and some controversies that have not yet been resolved, Dhurandhar is still the talk of the town both in the theaters where it is officially running and on various digital platforms where it is unofficially ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌trending.