Nationalistic films face Gulf wall

action drama warrior It is the latest Indian film to be refused release in some parts of West Asia, following other titles such as ” beast, kashmir file and bell bottoms, which also suffered the same fate. In these countries, films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam have a huge audience, so films that are considered to have anti-Islamic overtones or have themes such as homosexuality are discouraged. I’m locked out.

Given that Indian films are one of the three major overseas territories of the film industry, not being able to release them in these markets will be a huge blow to Indian films.shah rukh khan’s pathan collected INR$117 million in the region.

“Governments in the Middle East prefer to remain neutral and do not allow bashing of individuals or countries (due to the content of films). Indian producers realize that there is a huge opportunity in India for all languages. “There is a need, and at least for now, some overseas territories are offering better returns than the domestic market,” said Yusuf Shaikh, head of feature films at production and distribution company Percept Pictures. However, Shaikh pointed out that filmmakers also need to stay true to the subjects they choose to cover, which can be a double-edged sword.

Trade experts said fighters could have avoided INRIt received $50 billion in box office revenue from Gulf countries, but was ultimately screened only in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The action drama starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone revolves around the Indian Air Force, with references to the Pulwama attack, Balakot airstrike and the 2019 India-Pakistan border conflict.

Movie tickets are expensive in Gulf countries, generating large profits for producers. However, as films became more political, religious, and nationalistic, capitalizing on the sentiments of the majority, censors began to intervene.

Several titles will be released in the coming months, including: Article 370Based on the provisions of the Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy ended with its abolition in 2019. Bade Miyan Chhote MiyanStarring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, the film revolves around the fight against seemingly anti-national forces.

Girish Johar, film producer and trade and exhibition expert, agreed that the Middle East is one of the top three overseas markets for the Indian film business and cannot be ignored. “Filmmakers need to think and plan better because they don’t want to lose some of their business. It doesn’t make business sense,” Johar said, adding that while the market is particularly receptive to Hindi films, , added that top southern stars like Rajinikanth, Mohanlal and Mammootty also have fan bases.

in spite of warrior Arriving in the UAE, the jury is still out on whether filmmakers should tone things down when exploring ultra-nationalist themes, especially if the film is based on real-life events. has not been released.

“For producers, every penny counts, especially when the cost of manpower and VFX is soaring,” said Sunny Khanna, a film distributor and promoter.