New Delhi: The official ban on the Indian espionage thriller Dhurandhar by Pakistan and several Gulf nations appears to have had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of suppressing the film, the prohibition has turned the movie into a massive underground sensation across Pakistan. Reports indicate that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has struggled to maintain control over the digital space, with the film witnessing a surge in piracy that has rendered the blackout attempts ineffective.
The film, which features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan, weaves a narrative around the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and the Lyari gang wars. This portrayal of Pakistan's internal volatility and alleged terror links has unsettled the establishment.
However, in just two weeks, the movie has reportedly seen at least 2 million illegal downloads, surpassing previous piracy records held by ‘2.0’ and ‘Raees’. While the ban has reportedly cost the filmmakers approximately Rs 50-60 crore in revenue, the cultural impact has breached the border.
Tech-savvy viewers in Pakistan are reportedly bypassing restrictions using VPNs, Telegram channels, and underground streaming sites. Experts suggest that "Dark Web" networks are utilising servers in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Malaysia to facilitate these downloads, indicating a high level of curiosity among the Pakistani public.
The failure to contain the film has sparked a defensive reaction from Pakistani authorities. Sindh’s Senior Provincial Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon, criticised the film on X (formerly Twitter), calling it "negative propaganda" targeting the Lyari neighbourhood. To counter the narrative, he announced the fast-tracked release of a local film, Mera Lyari, scheduled for January, which aims to depict the area as a hub of "peace, prosperity, and pride."
The political fallout has also reached the courts. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has filed a legal challenge in Karachi, seeking an FIR against the cast and crew for the alleged misuse of images of the late Benazir Bhutto.
Meanwhile, social media handles linked to the ISI and ISPR are reportedly using clips from Dhurandhar to mock its storyline and propagate a counter-narrative. Despite these efforts, the film's popularity continues to grow, with Pakistani users widely sharing reels and memes based on the movie, signaling a significant psychological win for the film's creators despite the financial loss from the theatrical ban.
(Inputs from IANS)