Six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations have reportedly banned the Indian film ‘Dhurandhar’, a move perceived as succumbing to Pakistani propaganda. Despite the film’s focus on exposing Pakistani terrorism and containing no anti-Islamic content, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain have refused its release. This decision comes despite significant efforts by the film’s creators to gain approval and follows a successful Rs 200 crore box office run in India. The ban raises questions about whether religious sensitivities or political appeasement of Pakistan influenced the decision. ‘Dhurandhar’ simply highlights Pakistani terror operations, making the ban a significant diplomatic victory for Islamabad and a stark demonstration of its influence in the region. This influence stems from deep-rooted economic, military, and political ties, including Saudi Arabia’s long-standing alliance and the UAE’s substantial investments in Pakistan. Pakistani military personnel have also been involved in training forces within several Gulf states. This coordinated censorship effort appears to leverage these relationships to suppress narratives critical of Pakistan’s role in global terrorism. The decision is particularly noteworthy given India’s substantial economic and social presence in the Gulf, with annual bilateral trade exceeding $200 billion, a significant portion of India’s oil imports originating from the region, and a vast Indian expatriate community of nine million people. The ban seemingly disregards the interests of this large diaspora and the robust trade relationship, prioritizing Pakistan’s narrative over factual representation and bilateral partnerships. This pattern of censorship, where Gulf nations ban films perceived as critical of Pakistan, has been observed before with titles like ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’. The move is juxtaposed against Western nations implementing bans on religious symbols, highlighting a complex global landscape of censorship and cultural sensitivities.
