Nationalist Bollywood hit 'Dhurandhar' ignites cross-border controversy

A Bollywood spy thriller set in Pakistan has sparked heated debate across both countries over its portrayal of cross-border tensions, even as the film breaks box office records in India amid a surge in nationalist cinema.

    "Dhurandhar," starring Ranveer Singh as an Indian intelligence agent infiltrating criminal networks in Pakistan's Karachi, has drawn sharp criticism from Pakistani officials and some international critics while becoming one of the year's biggest commercial hits in India.

    The 3.5-hour film, directed by Aditya Dhar, weaves real historical events including the 1999 plane hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks into a fictional narrative about an Indian spy's mission to dismantle alleged links between Karachi gangs and terror networks.

    Released Dec. 5 with minimal publicity, "Dhurandhar" has grossed more than 12.15 billion rupees ($134.76 million) in ticket sales, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film last year. 

    "It is a unique thing. Most films are set in India, but in this film, a RAW agent infiltrates Pakistan and is living there, hiding his identity, and the film portrays all of that through this setup, about Karachi and everything. That's why it is such a good film. I mean, it is very important to watch this film," said movie-goer Naresh Kumar.

    The film represents a growing trend in Indian cinema toward nationalist blockbusters that align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, following controversial hits like "The Kashmir Files" and "The Kerala Story" that sparked debates over historical accuracy while achieving commercial success.

    In India, some film critics faced online harassment for negative reviews, prompting the Film Critics Guild to condemn "targeted attacks" against reviewers.

    "Films that evoke patriotic fervour among audiences generally do well, but that is not to say that any film with this kind of subject would have done well," said Bollywood film analyst Komal Nahta. "Everything seems to have gone right with the film." 

    The controversy highlights how cinema continues to reflect decades-old tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought four wars since partition in 1947. Fighting erupted between the countries in May following an attack on tourists in Kashmir that India blamed on Pakistan-backed militants.

    In Pakistan's Lyari neighbourhood, which was depicted in the film, residents criticised the portrayal as inaccurate.

    "It is a completely baseless movie because our neighbouring country doesn't know anything about our country," said Mohammad Zohaib, a Lyari resident and burger shop owner. "They don't know anything about Lyari, so how can they make a completely realistic film about someone?" 

     The Pakistan Peoples Party filed legal action in a Karachi court last month over the film's unauthorised use of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's image and its portrayal of party leaders as terrorist sympathisers.

    "About 10% of what has been shown in the movie is reality, 90% is not real," said Khizer Abdul Wahid, a Lyari resident and beauty salon owner.

    Pakistan banned Indian films in 2019, but Bollywood remains popular there with audiences using VPNs or illegal downloads to watch new releases.

    Theatre admissions in India have fallen 45% since their 2018 peak of 1.58 billion, according to Ernst and Young, as streaming services offer content that complements cheap mobile data available to most Indians.

    Even global hits like the latest Avatar film struggled to secure screens due to "Dhurandhar's" strong showing, analysts said.

 Production: Sunil Salelan, Shivangi Singh, Sunil Kataria, Shahabuddin Shahab/Reuters