‘Dhurandhar’ Trends At No.1 On Netflix Pakistan Despite Theatrical Ban, Viewers Call It “Best Bollywood Movie”
‘Dhurandhar’ topped Netflix Pakistan after its digital release, with viewers praising the Ranveer Singh-starrer.
‘Dhurandhar’ has emerged as one of the most successful Indian films at the global box office, delivering massive numbers both domestically and overseas. Despite not receiving a theatrical release in the Middle East and Pakistan, the film still managed to earn over USD 33 million overseas. Last month, a distributor associated with the Aditya Dhar-helmed project had claimed that the film lost nearly USD 10 million due to its absence from these key markets. Following the film’s worldwide Netflix release, that estimate now appears far from exaggerated.
Within days of its digital debut, ‘Dhurandhar’ has shot to the number one spot on Netflix Pakistan, as viewers rushed to watch the film and understand why it had been labelled “controversial”.
Screenshots showing the film trending at #1 in the Films category on Netflix Pakistan began circulating on social media over the weekend.
So #Dhurandhar is trending on Top 1 in PAK( followed by another Bollywood movie) after all the hullabaloo of it being an anti -PAK movie.I have said it time & again that Bollywood has a unilateral cultural dominacne on the IND Subcontinent no matter how much people of Pak deny it pic.twitter.com/8YYVhVvlvO
— Cover Drive (@day6596) January 31, 2026
The Ranveer Singh-starrer was seen outperforming other Bollywood titles such as ‘Tere Ishk Mein’, ‘Haq’, and ‘The Big Fake’. The film premiered digitally on Friday, January 30, eight weeks after its theatrical release.
‘Dhurandhar’ is a high-octane spy thriller that features Ranveer Singh as an Indian intelligence operative who infiltrates criminal gangs operating out of Pakistan’s Lyari region. The narrative blends real-life incidents and actual personalities with a fictionalised account of India’s war against terror. The film was not released theatrically in Pakistan, as Indian films have not been allowed to screen there for several years.
However, its Netflix release in Pakistan has generated significant buzz, with viewer reactions largely positive. A widely shared Reddit review from a Pakistani viewer read, “As a Pakistani, it's the best ever Bollywood movie I ever watched. First time I saw a film where actual research has been done and there's no use of ‘adaab’, ‘janaab’, surma, kajal, topi and vest to show Pakistanis. Thank you for showing a political party linked to crimes and exposing them. Fantastic movie—casting, shooting, story, everything’s on point.” The viewer also expressed hope that Chaudhary Aslam would be portrayed positively in the sequel, emphasising that he was not a negative figure in real life.
Another Pakistani viewer echoed similar sentiments, writing, “I’m Pakistani and I love Dhurandhar. Y’all gotta stop creating this narrative that we hate you guys and vice versa. It’s all love from my side.” Several users from Pakistan also mentioned plans for repeat viewings.
Others argued that the film did not demonise Pakistan at all and instead offered a nuanced portrayal. One comment read, “The movie actually portrayed Pakistan well—the weapon gangs and politics—and even sprinkled criticism of Indian politics. There’s nothing against Pakistani people in the movie. Excellent film.” The user also referenced filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s review, in which he praised the film’s craft while questioning certain political undertones.
At the box office, ‘Dhurandhar’ grossed an impressive Rs 1300 crore worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal in pivotal roles. A sequel to the blockbuster spy thriller is scheduled to hit theatres on March 19 this year.
