From ‘Udta Teer’ To ‘Dhurandhar’: Why Indian Films Were Banned Or Blocked Abroad
From Udta Teer’s Nepal setback to Dhurandhar’s Gulf restrictions, revisit Indian films that faced bans, certification refusals and blocked releases overseas.
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A superstar, a chart-topping soundtrack and a packed opening weekend can take an Indian film a long way. Getting through an overseas censor board, however, is an entirely different plot twist. Over the years, everything from undercover missions and historical spectacles to intimate romances has encountered a closed cinema door abroad. The latest example is ‘Udta Teer’, Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan’s spy comedy, which arrived in Indian cinemas today (October 23), after being denied public-screening permission in Nepal. Its case brings the spotlight back to a surprisingly varied collection of Indian films whose international journeys hit regulatory roadblocks.
Some faced outright bans, others were refused certification or had their releases suspended. Sometimes, an appeal or a different cut changed the outcome. Here are several films that encountered overseas exhibition restrictions – and what happened.
1. Udta Teer (2026)
Ayushmann’s character has a memory problem; the film has an overseas-permission problem. Akash A Kaushik’s spy comedy, released in India on October 23, stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor and Gulshan Grover. Its central joke involves a Pakistani spy who loses his memory and starts believing he is an Indian counterterrorism officer. Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology refused permission for public exhibition, with Bollywood Hungama reporting that it had obtained the official communication dated October 16. Nepalese critic Samipyaraj Timilsina linked the decision to the India–Pakistan storyline and concerns about relations with friendly countries. However, the reported notice does not identify the particular scenes or dialogues that triggered the refusal.
2. Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026)
The sequel brought back the undercover intrigue – and encountered the same Gulf roadblock as its predecessor. Directed by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ released on March 19, 2026, with Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun among its principal cast. Its theatrical release was denied in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Reporting connected the restrictions to its perceived anti-Pakistan narrative and sensitive material; that explanation should not be mistaken for six individually published censor orders. One particularly extravagant consequence? Dubai-based creator Technical Guruji documented a trip to Delhi to catch the film.
3. Border 2 (2026)
The battlefield spectacle travelled widely, but six important overseas markets remained out of bounds. Anurag Singh’s ‘Border 2’, released on January 23, 2026, stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty. The war drama revisits the 1971 India–Pakistan conflict through stories involving different branches of the armed forces. Bollywood Hungama and trade publication Film Information reported that it did not secure a release in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The reported stumbling block was its perceived anti-Pakistan content, with attempts to obtain clearance proving unsuccessful. The sequel therefore joined a growing group of patriotic action films whose release maps had conspicuous gaps across the Gulf.
4. Dhurandhar (2025)
Before the sequel’s troubles came the original’s missing Gulf screenings. Released on December 5, 2025, Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun in a Pakistan-set espionage thriller. It was denied theatrical clearance in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Reports attributed the decision to its perceived anti-Pakistan positioning; Oman’s Muscat Daily also obtained confirmation from a local cinema operator that the film would not release there. The dispute subsequently reached beyond the usual industry chatter: the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help in securing a Gulf release.
5. The Diplomat (2025)
For once, John Abraham’s most important weapon was diplomacy. Shivam Nair’s ‘The Diplomat’, released on March 14, 2025, stars John Abraham, Sadia Khateeb, Sharib Hashmi, Revathy and Kumud Mishra. Inspired by Uzma Ahmed’s return to India from Pakistan, it follows Indian diplomat J. P. Singh’s efforts to help her. Reports identified theatrical bans in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, while noting that the authorities had not publicly supplied a specific explanation. Politically sensitive content was the industry’s suggested reason. John later challenged the anti-Pakistan interpretation, pointing out that the story also depicts honest Pakistani judges, lawyers and police officers.
6. Fighter (2024)
Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone could take to the skies on screen, but the film’s Gulf release struggled to get airborne. Siddharth Anand’s ‘Fighter’, also starring Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi, opened in India on January 25, 2024. It was blocked in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The UAE initially appeared to be the exception, with approval and a PG15 rating reported, before the release was suspended there too. Khaleej Times confirmed the suspension through cinema operators and the distributor; subsequent reporting said a revised version also failed to win approval. Its India–Pakistan military storyline, incorporating the Pulwama attack and its aftermath, was widely linked to the controversy, although a detailed official rationale was not publicly provided.
7. Article 370 (2024)
This one needs a little more precision than the word “banned” in a headline. Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s ‘Article 370’, released on February 23, 2024, stars Yami Gautam Dhar, Priyamani, Arun Govil and Kiran Karmarkar, and dramatises events surrounding the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. Initial Gulf-ban reports were followed by reports that certification was merely pending. However, producer Lokesh Dhar subsequently told Bollywood Hungama that the UAE and other Gulf markets had declined approval after screenings and reconsideration. By the fourth week, he described the film as effectively banned there. Crucially, he said the makers had not been given a reason.
8. Maranamass (2025)
A serial-killer comedy might sound like the obvious candidate for objections over violence. The reported issue here was something else entirely. Sivaprasad’s ‘Maranamass’, released on April 10, 2025, stars Basil Joseph, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, Suresh Krishna and Anishma Anilkumar. The Malayalam dark comedy was denied release in Saudi Arabia, with reporting and the director’s comments linking the decision to the presence of a queer cast member. Sivaprasad told The News Minute that actors had not been selected on the basis of gender and spoke of normalising LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Kuwait had a different outcome: the film was permitted to screen after scenes featuring that performer were removed. The Saudi refusal and the edited Kuwaiti release were therefore two different outcomes for the same film.
9. Little Hearts (2024)
Love was in the title, but one of its love stories reportedly complicated the overseas release. Directed by Anto Jose Pereira and Aby Treesa Paul, ‘Little Hearts’ opened on June 7, 2024, starring Shane Nigam, Mahima Nambiar, Baburaj and Shine Tom Chacko. The Malayalam film weaves together three romantic tracks, including a same-s*x relationship. Producer Sandra Thomas confirmed that it had been banned in the GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Her initial announcement did not disclose the reason. Media reporting subsequently linked the restriction to the queer storyline. The film’s mix of younger romance, later-life companionship and a queer relationship had turned a family entertainer into a censorship talking point.
10. Kaathal – The Core (2023)
Mammootty traded superstar swagger for a painfully intimate story about a marriage shaped by a husband’s concealed sexuality. Jeo Baby’s ‘Kaathal – The Core’, released on November 23, 2023, stars Mammootty, Jyotika, Sudhi Kozhikode, Muthumani and Chinnu Chandni. Its overseas trouble was linked in media coverage to its LGBTQIA+ subject matter. Certification refusals were reported in Qatar and Kuwait, with Onmanorama also naming Saudi Arabia. The film’s first pairing of Mammootty and Jyotika thus reached audiences in some markets while remaining unavailable theatrically in others.
11. Beast (2022)
Vijay’s character could tackle a mall full of hostage-takers; overseas censors presented a less cinematic obstacle. Nelson Dilipkumar’s ‘Beast’, released on April 13, 2022, stars Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Selvaraghavan and VTV Ganesh. The Tamil action film was barred in Kuwait, followed by Qatar. Reports linked the decisions to its depiction of terrorism and Pakistan. With Vijay playing a former RAW operative caught in a mall siege, those elements were central to the action rather than an incidental subplot. The timing is worth remembering too: Qatar’s restriction was reported after Kuwait’s, so the list of blocked markets grew as release day approached.
12. FIR (2022)
For Vishnu Vishal, the restrictions arrived as an unwelcome last-minute surprise. Released on February 11, 2022, Manu Anand’s ‘FIR’ stars Vishnu Vishal, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Manjima Mohan, Raiza Wilson and Reba Monica John. The thriller follows a Muslim man caught in a terrorism investigation and was banned in Malaysia, Qatar and Kuwait. The precise official grounds were not publicly established in the contemporary accounts. Vishnu, who also produced the film, told OTTplay that he had not expected a complete ban and emphasised that it had secured clearance in Dubai and Bahrain. His explanation of the film’s intent – challenging suspicion and stereotyping – makes the missing screenings especially striking.
13. Kurup (2021)
A fugitive who keeps slipping away makes for a compelling thriller; a missing release needs a less dramatic explanation. Srinath Rajendran’s ‘Kurup’, released on November 12, 2021, stars Dulquer Salmaan, Sobhita Dhulipala, Indrajith Sukumaran, Shine Tom Chacko and Sunny Wayne. Inspired by the notorious fugitive Sukumara Kurup, it was banned in Kuwait. Exhibitor Cinescape publicly confirmed that the restriction came from Kuwait’s Ministry of Information. The contemporary confirmation did not specify the reason, so theories about particular plot elements should remain theories. Importantly, this was not a blanket Gulf exclusion: the film had a Dubai premiere.
14. Kadaram Kondan (2019)
Here is a particularly awkward travel itinerary: shoot extensively in a country, then fail to secure a theatrical release there. Rajesh M. Selva’s ‘Kadaram Kondan’, released on July 19, 2019, stars Vikram, Akshara Haasan, Abi Hassan and Lena. Malaysia refused approval, and its Film Censorship Board chairman Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz supplied a clear explanation: the storyline damaged the image of the Malaysian police. He also rejected speculation that the title was the problem, explaining that removing enough material to address the objections would undermine the story’s coherence. Malaysiakini reported that approximately 90 per cent of the film had been shot in Malaysia.
15. The Kashmir Files (2022)
In this case, the explanation came directly from the authorities. Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’, released on March 11, 2022, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar and Pallavi Joshi. The drama, centred on the persecution and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, was refused classification in Singapore. In a joint statement, the country’s Infocomm Media Development Authority and two ministries said its portrayal of Muslims and the Kashmir conflict could generate hostility between communities and disrupt religious harmony. Those were the Singapore authorities’ stated grounds for refusing exhibition. The film’s heated reception in India was therefore followed by a separate regulatory decision overseas, based on Singapore’s own classification standards.
16. Bell Bottom (2021)
Akshay Kumar’s retro espionage mission encountered a modern release snag. Ranjit M. Tewari’s ‘Bell Bottom’, released in India on August 19, 2021, stars Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Vaani Kapoor and Huma Qureshi. The hijack-rescue thriller was banned in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Bollywood Hungama’s source suggested that objections concerned the Dubai-set operation and the way Indian agents were shown handling a crisis associated with UAE authorities in the real incident. That was an industry explanation, rather than a published censor finding. The twist? The UAE itself subsequently cleared the film, with a release on August 20, 2021. Its Gulf story therefore had both refusals and an eventual green light.
17. Padmaavat (2018)
The controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’ did not stop at India’s borders. Released on January 25, 2018, the historical spectacle stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor. Malaysia’s Film Censorship Board refused exhibition because of what it considered a negative depiction of Islam through Alauddin Khilji, played by Ranveer. Malaysia’s Home Ministry subsequently confirmed the decision, and the distributor’s appeal failed. The official objection focused on the portrayal of a Muslim ruler as cruel, treacherous and dishonourable. After a bruising journey to Indian cinemas, the film had therefore encountered another controversy abroad – this time centred on the depiction of its antagonist.
18. Raees (2017)
Mahira Khan’s Bollywood debut did not reach cinema audiences in her own country. Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Raees’, released on January 25, 2017, stars Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, with SRK playing a Gujarat bootlegger pursued by a determined police officer. Pakistan’s Central Board of Film Censors refused clearance. Sources within the board told Dawn’s Images that the objection concerned a perceived undermining of Islam and a religious sect, alongside the portrayal of Muslims as criminals. There were differences between the central and provincial boards over approval, but the central refusal prevented the planned release. For a film bringing an Indian superstar and a Pakistani leading lady together, it was a particularly unfortunate outcome.
19. Baby (2015)
The title sounded harmless; the intelligence operation inside proved far more contentious. Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’, released on January 23, 2015, stars Akshay Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu and Kay Kay Menon. Pakistan refused the counterterrorism thriller a release, with reporting citing objections from censor boards in Islamabad and Karachi to what they considered a negative depiction of Muslims. The distributor confirmed the ban. Pandey had rejected the description of his film as anti-Pakistan. Adding another layer to the story, the cast itself included Pakistani performers Mikaal Zulfiqar and Rasheed Naz – a reminder that cross-border casting did not necessarily translate into cross-border clearance.
20. Raanjhanaa (2013)
Not every blocked film involved spies, soldiers or an international conspiracy. Aanand L. Rai’s ‘Raanjhanaa’, released on June 21, 2013, stars Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. Pakistan barred the romantic drama, with importer Amjad Rasheed saying the censor board’s letter objected to its depiction of a Muslim girl in a relationship with a Hindu man. That was the stated censor objection relayed by the distributor; the film’s actual romantic and religious entanglements are more complicated than that short description suggests. In an added irony, Pakistani singer Shiraz Uppal contributed vocals to A. R. Rahman’s celebrated title track. The music crossed borders more easily than the movie.
21. The Dirty Picture (2011)
Milan Luthria’s ‘The Dirty Picture’, released on December 2, 2011, stars Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi and Tusshar Kapoor in a drama about a screen siren’s rise and fall. In Qatar, certification was refused; producer Tanuj Garg suspected objections to bold content, without a specific explanation. The film’s Pakistani release had a different ending: after an initial rejection, it secured clearance and opened there the following week. Its initial rejection there therefore became a delay rather than a lasting theatrical exclusion. For a movie built around an unapologetically ambitious heroine, its own international journey involved plenty of negotiation.
22. Tere Bin Laden (2010)
A fake Osama bin Laden video was the joke driving the film; the potential reaction to that joke worried Pakistani censors. Abhishek Sharma’s ‘Tere Bin Laden’, released on July 16, 2010, stars Ali Zafar, Pradhuman Singh, Piyush Mishra and Sugandha Garg. It follows a Pakistani reporter who uses a bin Laden lookalike to manufacture a scoop in pursuit of his American dream. Pakistan refused clearance over concerns that the satire could provoke extremist reactions and security problems, alongside objections to its portrayal of society and religion. Sharma sought a review of the decision. The restriction also meant that Pakistani pop star Ali Zafar’s Indian film debut could not receive its intended theatrical welcome at home.
As ‘Udta Teer’ joins the conversation, these films show just how unpredictable an Indian movie’s journey beyond home territory can be.
