THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In today’s world, a strange story is unfolding in Pakistan. The Bollywood film ‘Dhurandhar’, starring Ranveer Singh, has been officially banned in the country. The government says the movie shows Pakistan in a bad light and spreads “anti-Pakistan” messages. But here’s the twist: millions of Pakistanis are watching it anyway, dancing to its music at weddings and parties, and even politicians who support the ban are being caught enjoying the film’s songs. This situation shows us how government bans often fail in the digital age, and how public actions don’t always match private behavior.
The Official Ban
Pakistan banned ‘Dhurandhar’ along with several Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The government objected to how the film portrays sensitive events from Pakistan’s history, including the 1999 Kandahar plane hijacking and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Officials called it “negative propaganda” against Pakistan.
The ban wasn’t just about stopping the film from playing in cinemas. Bilawal Bhutto’s own political party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), even filed a court case in Karachi. They complained that the film used images of the late Benazir Bhutto without permission and demanded legal action against the cast and crew.
From the outside, it looked like Pakistan was united in rejecting this film. Politicians spoke against it. Courts heard complaints about it. The message was clear: ‘Dhurandhar’ was not welcome in Pakistan.
The Reality on the Ground
But reality tells a very different story. Despite all the official anger and legal action, Dhurandhar has become one of the most popular films in Pakistan. Within just two weeks of its release, at least 2 million people in Pakistan had downloaded it illegally. This makes it the most pirated Indian film in Pakistan’s recent history, beating even huge hits like Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ and Rajinikanth’s ‘2.0’.
People are finding creative ways to watch the film. They use torrent sites, Telegram channels, underground streaming services, and VPNs. The downloads are coming through servers in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Malaysia. Even though Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, is monitoring the internet for the movie, they have completely failed to stop it. The ban has actually made people more curious about the film, not less interested.
The Wedding Dance Floor Phenomenon
Perhaps the most interesting part of this story is what’s happening at Pakistani weddings and parties. The song “FA9LA” from Dhurandhar has become a massive hit. DJs are playing it at celebrations across the country. Young people are dancing to it. Social media is full of videos showing Pakistanis creating reels and memes about the film and its music.
The song has become so popular that it’s now a party favorite. People who may have never seen the full film still know the tune and dance to it. The catchy beat has crossed all borders and barriers that the government tried to put up.
Bilawal Bhutto’s Contradiction
The biggest irony of all involves Bilawal Bhutto himself. This is the same politician whose party filed legal complaints against the film. His party called for action against the filmmakers. They objected to how the movie used his mother’s images.
Yet a viral video shows Bilawal Bhutto at a party where the song “FA9LA” from Dhurandhar is playing in the background. There he sits on stage with other guests, while the music from the banned film fills the air. The video spread quickly on social media, and people immediately noticed the contradiction.
In public, Bilawal Bhutto’s party condemns the film. They support the ban. They take it to court. But in private, at parties and celebrations, the same music plays and nobody seems to mind. This perfectly captures the gap between public statements and private enjoyment that defines Pakistan’s relationship with this film.
This whole situation teaches us several important lessons. First, government bans don’t work the way they used to. In the age of the internet, VPNs, and file sharing, stopping people from accessing content is nearly impossible. The harder authorities try to block something, the more people want to see it.
Second, cultural connections are stronger than political divisions. Despite all the tension between India and Pakistan, people on both sides still enjoy each other’s music, films, and entertainment. Bollywood has fans in Pakistan no matter what the government says.
Third, there’s often a big difference between what leaders say in public and what they do in private. Politicians may support bans and restrictions for political reasons, but they’re still human beings who enjoy popular culture like everyone else.
Conclusion
The story of Dhurandhar in Pakistan is really a story about modern life. It shows how technology has changed the power balance between governments and citizens. It reveals the contradictions in how we present ourselves publicly versus how we behave privately. And it demonstrates that cultural connections between people can survive even when political relationships are difficult.
Bilawal Bhutto, sitting at a party with a banned film’s music playing, is the perfect symbol of this contradiction. He represents a generation of leaders who must navigate between political necessity and personal reality, between public positions and private preferences.
In the end, millions of Pakistanis are watching Dhurandhar, dancing to its music, and sharing it with friends. The ban has failed. The downloads continue. The wedding DJs keep playing “FA9LA.” And somewhere, politicians who condemned the film might just be tapping their feet to the beat when nobody’s looking.
This is the paradox of our connected world: you can ban something officially, but you cannot ban it from people’s hearts, phones, and dance floors.
References
1.https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/banned-dhurandhars-fa9lasong-played-at-bilawal-bhuttos-party-in-pakistan-video
2.https://www.newsx.com/world/pakistan-hypocrisy-exposed-dhurandhar-song-plays-at-bilawal-bhuttos-entry-amid-ban-on-akshaye-khanna-ranveer-singh-starrer-dhurandhar-box-office-collection-130419/
3.https://thedailyguardian.com/entertainment-news/watch-bilawal-bhutto-makes-grand-entry-on-banned-dhurandhar-fa9la-song-video-goes-viral-687892/
4. https://boxofficeworldwide.com/movies-latest-news/dhurandhar-becomes-most-pirated-film-in-pakistan-despite-ban-ranveer-singh-starrer-surpasses-shah-rukh-khans-raees-and-rajinikanths-2-0/
