Border 2: Does a ban in Gulf countries affect the earnings of Sunny Deol’s war epic?
As Border 2 continues its strong box office run, questions have emerged around its reported ban in select Gulf countries. Does the restriction impact the earnings of Sunny Deol's war epic? Here's how overseas bans actually affect box office numbers and what trade experts say.
Border 2: Sunny Deol’s war drama Border 2 has emerged as one of the biggest box office successes of 2026. However, despite its strong worldwide numbers, industry experts believe the film may have lost a significant chunk of potential revenue due to its non-release in Gulf countries.
In an exclusive interaction with TV9 English, Suniel Wadhwa, Co-Founder and Director of Karmic Films, explained why the Gulf region can no longer be treated as a secondary overseas market for Indian cinema. "The Gulf countries have become a structurally critical overseas market for Indian cinema, not a peripheral one,” he said, placing Border 2’s situation in sharp perspective.
Border 2 ban in Gulf countries: Does it affect the business?
Using Gadar 2 as a benchmark, Wadhwa pointed out that the Gulf contributed nearly 17 per cent of its total overseas earnings, translating to about $1.32 million. "At current exchange rates, Border 2’s non-release in the Gulf likely resulted in a direct theatrical loss of Rs 12–22 crore, depending on performance potential,” he added. According to him, this is a substantial figure, especially for a film that is performing strongly across other international territories.
The impact becomes even clearer when compared with other large-scale releases. Wadhwa cited Dhurandhar, which also skipped the Gulf market. "Dhurandhar released without access to the Gulf despite already clocking $28 million overseas excluding the region. Based on historical patterns, the Gulf typically contributes 15–18 per cent of overseas revenues,” he said. This suggests a missed opportunity of $5–8 million, or roughly Rs 45–72 crore, for that film.
Beyond immediate box office numbers, Wadhwa warned of wider consequences. "When high-demand films skip the Gulf theatrically, it doesn’t just affect box-office numbers — it also increases exposure to unregulated consumption, which can have knock-on effects across other markets,” he explained. According to him, the cases of Border 2 and Dhurandhar clearly show how missing the Gulf market can materially change a film’s global outcome.
About Border 2
Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 is a standalone sequel to JP Dutta’s 1997 classic Border. The film released on January 23, 2026, and features an ensemble cast led by Sunny Deol, alongside Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. Set against the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the film showcases the Army, Navy, and Air Force in a multi-front narrative.
Despite the Gulf setback, Border 2 has crossed Rs 270 crore worldwide within five days, with strong word of mouth and positive reviews backing its run. Producer Bhushan Kumar has already confirmed that Border 3 is on the cards.