'Dhurandhar' actor reacts to film trending on Netflix Pakistan
What's the story
The Bollywood film Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, has taken the world by storm since its release on Netflix. Despite being banned in theaters in Pakistan over alleged "anti-Pakistan content," it reportedly became the most-watched title in the country within a week of its digital release. Actor Naveen Kaushik, who played Donga in the thriller, recently spoke to Zoom about the film's unexpected popularity in Pakistan.
Actor's response
'Dhurdandhar' was the most pirated film in Pakistan'
Kaushik said, "When Dhurandhar released, it was the most pirated movie in Pakistan. We got a lot of love from people across the border." "They loved our work and appreciated how Lyari and Karachi were recreated in our film." "It was authentic, and they were appreciative of that." "We received a lot of love...Now that it has released on Netflix, the love is growing more."
Government response
Pakistan announced film 'Mera Lyari' to counter 'Dhurandhar'
Days after Dhurandhar's theatrical release on December 5 last year, Pakistan's Sindh government announced a movie titled Mera Lyari. This was reportedly in response to Dhurandhar's negative portrayal of Lyari, a locality in Karachi known for gang wars. Sharjeel Inam Memon, Sindh Information Minister, accused Dhurandhar of spreading negative propaganda against Pakistan by targeting Lyari. The film is also banned from theatrical release in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Global success
Everything to know about 'Dhurandhar'
Dhurandhar made its OTT debut on January 30 and quickly climbed to the top of Netflix's charts in over 22 countries. The film's success is notable in several regions, including the Middle East and South Asia, where it became the No. 1 movie in India, Qatar, Pakistan, UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius, Kuwait, and Oman. The film features Ranveer Singh as undercover agent Hamza Ali Mazari, with R Madhavan as Indian spymaster Ajay Sanyal.