Indian audiences watching Dhurandhar in 2026 are now seeing a slightly modified version of the period spy thriller following pressure from the Baloch community and directives from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The film, currently the highest-grossing Hindi release domestically, revised some dialogues and muted two words, including “Baloch,” after a line delivered by Sanjay Dutt sparked protests.
The dialogue, spoken by Dutt’s character Chaudhry Aslam, read: “Magarmachh pe bharosa kar sakte hai, par Baloch pe nahi” (You can trust a crocodile, but not a Baloch).
The Junagadh Baloch Makrani community reacted strongly, with Ejaz Makrani, president of the local society, filing a police complaint seeking legal action against the actor, dialogue writer, and director.
In the absence of action, he warned of approaching the Gujarat High Court. Another lawyer, Nabil Baloch, also issued a legal notice demanding a public apology and censorship of the dialogue, citing hate speech and defamation.
During a hearing in the Gujarat High Court last week, Justice A P Mayee asked petitioners to substantiate claims that the dialogue defamed the Baloch community.
Meanwhile, India Today confirmed that the revised version of Dhurandhar has been released, with the word “Baloch” muted in one or two instances and a dialogue adjusted in line with the ministry’s directives. Distributors informed theatres of the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) replacement on December 31.
Despite these changes, the film’s commercial performance remains unaffected. In just 29 days, Dhurandhar has earned approximately INR 7.4 billion, surpassing the previous record-holder, Chhaava, which had also faced criticism earlier this year for controversial historical portrayals.
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