The Sunny Deol-starrer “Border 2” was scheduled for worldwide release, but it failed to receive cinema clearance in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

According to Indian media, the film could not secure approval from Gulf cinema authorities, similar to what happened earlier with Ranveer Singh’s film “Dhareendar.”

Advance ticket sales for “Border 2” began three days earlier and showed steady interest. By the afternoon of January 22, nearly 60,000 tickets had been sold across major cinema chains in India.

The film was expected to be the first big Bollywood release of the new year. However, the Gulf countries ban has raised concerns about its global box office performance.

“Border 2” is based on the 1971 Pakistan-India war. Its teaser shows Sunny Deol delivering aggressive war slogans and patriotic dialogues, which have drawn mixed reactions.

While the film’s theme sparked debate, its technical quality, especially visual effects, has also faced criticism from viewers and reviewers.

Read Also: Varun Dhawan faces backlash over anti-Pakistan remarks at Border 2 event

Apart from Sunny Deol, the film stars Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty, and its India release is still set to go ahead.

This is not the first time a politically sensitive Indian film has faced restrictions and ban in Gulf countries, highlighting strict content screening policies in the region as for movies like ‘Border 2.’