Hindi-language action film Tiger 3, which was released on Sunday, November 12, has been reportedly banned in the Gulf states Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, over concerns Muslims are portrayed in a negative light.
The film’s release coincided with the Hindu festival of Diwali, and has set a new record by becoming the highest-grossing Diwali day release.
Middle East Monitor, quoted Times of India, the film starring Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif also stars Emraan Hashmi who is the antagonist in the spy-thriller assuming the role of the leader of a global terror organisation, playing into Islamophobic tropes.
#Comment: #SalmanKhan's film 'Tiger 3' is encountering a ban in #Qatar & Oman due to its perceived negative portrayal of Muslims. This is part of a recurring trend where #Indian films face bans in foreign countries.
Previously, #Malaysia banned the Indian movie 'Padmaavat' for… pic.twitter.com/vsf5VcThLZ
— South Asia Times (@SATimes_TV) November 15, 2023
The outlet also reported that while rumours of the ban are still unconfirmed, there has been speculation among some fans that the reason could stem from “Katrina Kaif’s fight scene in a towel.”
According to Firstpost, “The Middle East countries are little apprehensive to release the Maneesh Sharma directorial in their cinema halls due to its India-Pakistan narrative,” noting that the sequel deals with the protagonists “who land up in Pakistan and attempt to prevent the PM of the country from getting assassinated.”
Last year, the Tamil-language film Beast was banned in Kuwait and Qatar, after the film’s alleged depictions of Muslims as terrorists and several dialogues perceived to be against Pakistan. The historical epic Samrat Prithviraj also received a ban in Kuwait and Oman, reportedly for “distorting history” and “hurting sentiments” of the Muslim community.
However….
Fact Check: #SalmanKhan-starrer #Tiger3 NOT banned in Oman and Qatar; authorities express reservations about certain aspects of the film and talks are on#YRF50 #YRFSpyUniverse @yrf @BeingSalmanKhan #KatrinaKaif https://t.co/IkgxswRzLt
— BollyHungama (@Bollyhungama) November 10, 2023
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