WEB DESK: Indian audiences watching “Dhurandhar” in 2026 are now seeing a slightly altered version of the period spy thriller after pressure from the Baloch community and directives from India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The film, currently the top-grossing Hindi release domestically, adjusted certain dialogues and muted two words, including “Baloch,” following protests over a line delivered by Sanjay Dutt. His character, Chaudhry Aslam, remarked, “You can trust a crocodile, but not a Baloch,” triggering backlash.
The Junagadh Baloch Makrani community strongly opposed the dialogue. Their president, Ejaz Makrani, filed a police complaint against the actor, dialogue writer, and director, also threatening to approach the Gujarat High Court if no action was taken. Lawyer Nabil Baloch sent a legal notice demanding an apology and removal of the dialogue, citing hate speech and defamation concerns.
In a recent Gujarat High Court hearing, Justice A P Mayee asked petitioners to prove the dialogue’s defamatory impact. Meanwhile, India Today confirmed that “Dhurandhar” was updated to comply with the ministry’s directives. The word “Baloch” was muted in some scenes, and certain lines were modified. Theater distributors replaced the updated version’s Digital Cinema Package (DCP) on December 31.
Despite these edits, the film’s success remains intact. In just 29 days, “Dhurandhar” has earned INR 7.4 billion, overtaking “Chhaava”, another controversial historical drama earlier this year.
