The Gulf is not optional anymore. It's core revenue pillar.
Dhurandhar The Revenge has rewritten box office history across the English-speaking world, yet it never screened in the Gulf — a silence that trade analysts now measure in the language of loss, estimating Rs. 65 to 85 crores in revenue that simply never materialized. The film's extraordinary $45 million overseas haul, achieved without access to markets that historically account for 15 to 20 percent of Hindi cinema's international earnings, raises a question older than commerce itself: what is the true cost of a door that was never opened? For an industry learning to think in global terms, this absence is less a footnote than a structural lesson about the geography of ambition.
- Dhurandhar The Revenge shattered records in the US, UK, and Canada — yet the Gulf's closed doors quietly drained an estimated $8–10 million from its global potential.
- Trade analysts warn this is not a routine missed market but a compressive loss: without Gulf momentum, the film's overseas ceiling dropped from a possible $55–60 million to its current $45 million.
- The sequel's pain is sharpened by irony — Pakistani audiences are streaming the first film on Netflix and discussing the sequel openly on social media, proving demand exists where access does not.
- Industry voices from Taran Adarsh to Girish Johar are converging on the same verdict: the Gulf is no longer optional infrastructure for franchise films operating at this scale.
- The wound extends beyond the box office — weakened Gulf momentum compresses the long-tail revenue that satellite and digital platforms depend on, making geopolitical friction a financial echo that outlasts the theatrical run.
Dhurandhar The Revenge has become one of Hindi cinema's most remarkable international success stories, crossing Pathaan to claim the title of highest-grossing Hindi film ever in the UK and accumulating nearly $45 million overseas. But the film never played in the UAE or anywhere across the Gulf Cooperation Council — and the industry is now reckoning with what that silence cost.
Trade analysts place the figure between Rs. 65 crores and Rs. 85 crores, with some estimating the Gulf could have delivered as much as Rs. 100 crores given the film's performance elsewhere. Suniel Wadhwa of Karmic Films explained the mathematics plainly: the Gulf typically contributes 15 to 20 percent of overseas revenues for major Hindi releases, and for an event sequel already at $45 million, that translates to roughly $8–10 million left uncollected. More troubling, he noted, is the compressive effect — the absence didn't merely cap revenue, it prevented what could have been a $55–60 million overseas finish.
The irony is not lost on observers. Pakistani audiences have been openly discussing the film on social media, and the first Dhurandhar trended on Netflix in Pakistan — proof that appetite exists precisely where access was denied. Taran Adarsh noted the film continues collecting strongly even six weeks into its run, suggesting Gulf screens would have had no shortage of willing audiences.
For the industry, the deeper concern is structural. The first film's Gulf absence was one setback among many; the sequel's exclusion from these markets at peak global momentum feels like a blueprint for preventable failure. Wadhwa and others now argue that for franchise films of this scale, Gulf access must be treated as essential infrastructure — not a bonus territory. Every missed opening weekend in Dubai or Riyadh is not just a lost ticket sale; it is a weakened signal that ripples through satellite deals, streaming negotiations, and the long commercial life of a franchise. Whether future sequels find a way through the geopolitical friction remains the question the industry cannot yet answer.
Dhurandhar The Revenge has become a global phenomenon, shattering box office records across North America, the UK, and Australia. Yet the film never reached theaters in the UAE or other Gulf Cooperation Council nations—a decision that trade analysts now say cost the production somewhere between Rs. 65 crores and Rs. 85 crores in foregone revenue, with some suggesting the figure could have climbed as high as Rs. 100 crores.
The sequel, which has already grossed nearly $45 million overseas without access to Gulf markets, represents a case study in how geopolitical complications can hollow out a film's commercial potential. The first Dhurandhar faced similar restrictions in 2025, but the sequel's explosive international success has made the absence of these territories feel especially acute. Trade veteran Taran Adarsh noted that the film has already crossed Pathaan to become the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time in the UK—a market that, like the Gulf, contains significant audiences from neighboring countries. On social media, Pakistani viewers have been openly discussing the film; the first installment even trended on Netflix in Pakistan. "The film is still running in the UK and other markets," Adarsh observed. "It hasn't exhausted its run yet and continues to collect well even after six weeks."
The mathematics of the missed opportunity are substantial. Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, laid out the calculation: traditionally, the Gulf contributes 15 to 18 percent of overseas revenues for major Hindi films, and for event sequels that figure can stretch to 18 to 20 percent. Applied to Dhurandhar The Revenge's current $45 million haul, that absence translates to roughly $8 million to $10 million—or Rs. 65 to Rs. 85 crores—left on the table. "What is critical here is the multiplier effect," Wadhwa explained. "When a film is already performing at a $45 million level without a key territory, the absence doesn't just cap revenue. It compresses what could have been a $55 to $60 million overseas finish."
Other analysts were equally bullish about what the Gulf release might have delivered. Atul Mohan suggested the film would have ranked in the top three, if not the top grosser, in the UAE-GCC region. Girish Johar, a producer and film business analyst, estimated Rs. 70 to Rs. 80 crores as a realistic floor, and said he would not have been surprised by a Rs. 100 crore performance given the records the film has shattered in the US, Canada, and UK.
The broader implication troubles industry observers. For the first Dhurandhar, the Gulf's absence was a setback among many variables. For the sequel, it represents a structural gap in what should have been a complete global rollout. Wadhwa emphasized that for franchise films operating at this scale, the Gulf is no longer a nice-to-have market—it is essential infrastructure. Missing it at peak demand does more than reduce immediate box office; it weakens the global momentum curve that drives long-tail monetization across satellite and digital platforms. As Dhurandhar The Revenge continues its run in other territories, the question hanging over the industry is whether future sequels will find a path to Gulf release, or whether geopolitical friction will continue to carve holes in what could otherwise be truly global box office events.
Notable Quotes
When a film is already performing at a $45 million level without a key territory, the absence doesn't just cap revenue. It compresses what could have been a $55 to $60 million overseas finish.— Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films
For a franchise film at this scale, the Gulf is not optional anymore. It's a core revenue pillar.— Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the Gulf market matter so much more for the sequel than it did for the first film?
Because the first Dhurandhar was already a success story without it. The sequel, though, has become a phenomenon—it's broken records in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia. When you're operating at that scale, every territory becomes more valuable. The Gulf typically accounts for 15 to 20 percent of overseas revenue for big Hindi films. That's not marginal.
But the film is doing fine without the Gulf, isn't it? Nearly $45 million overseas.
It is doing fine. That's what makes this so interesting. The film is thriving in markets that also have Pakistani audiences—the UK, Australia, North America. So the assumption that Gulf audiences would reject it doesn't hold up. The first film trended on Netflix in Pakistan. People there are discussing it on social media. The film crossed Pathaan in the UK. That tells you something about its appeal.
So what's the actual cost of not being there?
Between $8 and $10 million in direct revenue—Rs. 65 to 85 crores. Some analysts think it could have been Rs. 100 crores. But it's not just the immediate box office. It's the momentum. When a film is already at $45 million, adding the Gulf could have pushed it to $55 or $60 million. That changes how the film is perceived, how it's valued for satellite and digital deals down the line.
Is this a one-time miss, or does it signal something about how Bollywood will operate going forward?
The industry is starting to treat the Gulf as non-negotiable for franchise films. It's not optional anymore. It's core infrastructure. If geopolitical issues keep blocking releases there, it's going to reshape how studios think about sequels and global strategy.