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Dhurandhar, the Ranveer Singh-led espionage thriller set in Pakistan, has emerged as the most-watched film on Netflix in Pakistan, despite being theatrically banned in the country and several Middle Eastern territories due to its sensitive geopolitical theme.
The film has also topped Netflix’s global non-English films chart, ranking No. 1 worldwide for the week of January 26 to February 1, according to Netflix’s Tudum data, with 7.6 million views. It currently holds the top position in both India and Pakistan, and is trending at No. 1 in 22 countries, including Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The development is significant given that Indian films have been absent from Pakistani cinemas for years, following restrictions imposed by both countries amid heightened bilateral tensions. Films with narratives centred on Indian intelligence operations in Pakistan have traditionally faced bans or resistance in the region.
Also Read: Valentine’s Day watchlist: From Notting Hill to La La Land, 10 romantic films to stream
Even before its legal availability on Netflix, Dhurandhar generated interest in Pakistan. Reports suggested that the film was illegally downloaded around 2 million times within the first two weeks of its release, making it one of the most pirated Indian films in Pakistan in recent years.
Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar follows an Indian undercover agent infiltrating Karachi’s criminal and political underworld. Singh plays the lead role, with Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal in key supporting parts.
The film was released theatrically in India on December 5, 2025, and became the highest-grossing Hindi-language film in the domestic market, earning $116 million locally and $32 million overseas.
Also Read: Makers of Ghooskhor Pandat pull promotional materials, Director Neeraj Pandey says, 'We understand the hurt’
The film has also topped Netflix’s global non-English films chart, ranking No. 1 worldwide for the week of January 26 to February 1, according to Netflix’s Tudum data, with 7.6 million views. It currently holds the top position in both India and Pakistan, and is trending at No. 1 in 22 countries, including Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The development is significant given that Indian films have been absent from Pakistani cinemas for years, following restrictions imposed by both countries amid heightened bilateral tensions. Films with narratives centred on Indian intelligence operations in Pakistan have traditionally faced bans or resistance in the region.
Also Read: Valentine’s Day watchlist: From Notting Hill to La La Land, 10 romantic films to stream
Even before its legal availability on Netflix, Dhurandhar generated interest in Pakistan. Reports suggested that the film was illegally downloaded around 2 million times within the first two weeks of its release, making it one of the most pirated Indian films in Pakistan in recent years.
Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar follows an Indian undercover agent infiltrating Karachi’s criminal and political underworld. Singh plays the lead role, with Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal in key supporting parts.
The film was released theatrically in India on December 5, 2025, and became the highest-grossing Hindi-language film in the domestic market, earning $116 million locally and $32 million overseas.
Also Read: Makers of Ghooskhor Pandat pull promotional materials, Director Neeraj Pandey says, 'We understand the hurt’
