In a setback to latest Bollywood movie Fighter, the Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone starrer has been banned across UAE for theatrical displaydays before its release.
Directed by Sidharth Anand, the movie starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone is about an Indian Air Force unit set in Indian Occupied Kashmir, where a group of firebrand young men and women are being trained for some special mission.
The real events the movie seems to be based on are well known. India and Pakistan exchanged airstrikes after the former accused the latter of ‘sponsoring’ the Pulwama attack. The deal ended with Indian pilot Abhinandan being captured by Pakistan only to be released a few days later.
However, the movie is already being called ‘Anti Pakistan’ and ‘Jingoistic’ and was banned from premiers in UAE and all countries of the Middle East. The film’s producer shared the development on his X handle.
Bollywood movie ‘Fighter’ seems like a mix of Abhinandan, jingoism and Top Gun
“I think I would call it more nationalistic than jingoistic. Some things are just being taken out of context,” director Siddharth Anand said.
An Indian publication, Pink Villa, reported that the censor boards of countries in the Middle East did not allow releasing the film. However, no reason behind banned has been announceed.