Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta has declared Bollywood espionage thriller ‘Dhurandhar’ tax-free in the state. The announcement was made by the Lieutenant Governor’s office on social media platform The administration says the move is part of a strategy to promote local tourism and film production and is in line with the proposed new film policy, which aims to make Ladakh a major film shooting destination.
“The film highlights the cinematic landscapes of Ladakh, signals strong support towards filmmakers and reinforces the UT’s initiative to emerge as a preferred destination for film shooting and tourism,” the post from the Lieutenant Governor’s office said. The tax exemption is expected to attract more projects in the future, increase activity in the local economy and development of infrastructure.
Lt Governor Shri @KavinderGupta declares Bollywood film “Dhurandhar” tax-free in UT #Ladakh,
Shot extensively in the region, the film spotlights Ladakh’s cinematic landscapes, signaling strong support for filmmakers and reinforcing the UT’s push to emerge as a preferred— Office of the Lt. Governor, Ladakh (@lg_ladakh) January 2, 2026
Directed by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar’ stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles. The story of the film revolves around an Indian spy who infiltrates a criminal network linked to cross-border terrorism and uncovers the truth. Many important scenes of the film have been shot in the remote and rugged areas of Ladakh, which the administration has described as a powerful demonstration of the shooting capability of the region.
Amidst the controversies and criticisms, the film’s commercial performance has been exceptional. According to the makers, as of January 1, 2026, ‘Dhurandhar’ has grossed over ₹1,164 crore worldwide, which includes ₹926 crore from India. With this it has become the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 and is also the first Bollywood release to cross the ₹700 crore mark domestically. The film also recorded double-digit daily earnings in its fourth week, while Indian collections saw a 43% jump on the 28th day. With this performance, the film also surpassed the global figures of previous hits like ‘Pushpa 2’ and ‘Jawaan’.
However, the film has also drawn sharp criticism from some sections of the media and commentators. Critics have termed it propaganda and alleged that the film presents Pakistan in a negative light and have raised objections over the portrayal of certain communities. Amidst these allegations, the screening of the film has been banned in some countries. A distributor was quoted as saying that the film suffered a loss of around US$10 million due to the ban in some Middle East countries.
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