The recently released teaser for Ranveer Singh's upcoming film, Dhurandhar, has generated considerable buzz, and a fascinating piece of trivia has emerged: scenes set in Pakistan were actually filmed in Thailand. This revelation has sparked curiosity, considering the distinct topographies of the two countries.
According to a source from Bollywood Hungama, the filmmakers took meticulous care to ensure the shooting locations accurately resembled Pakistan, a fact that is evident in the film's trailer. The source emphasized that Thailand offers more than just beaches and islands, highlighting the excellent facilities and cooperation provided by the Thai government, making it an ideal choice for the Dhurandhar team.
Thailand has long been a popular destination for Bollywood productions. Several films, including Wanted (2009), Ready (2011), Student of the Year (2012), Housefull 2 (2012), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Entertainment (2014), Baaghi 2 (2016), Baar Baar Dekho (2016), and Junglee (2019), have been filmed there. Even Kabir Khan's web series, The Forgotten Army (2020), utilized Thailand as a filming location. Sooryavanshi (2021) was among the last pre-pandemic films to have scenes shot in Thailand, with Rajshri's Dono (2023) also being set in the country.
Interestingly, Dhurandhar isn't the first project to recreate Pakistan in Thailand. The Marvel series Ms. Marvel (2022), which featured Farhan Akhtar, also utilized Thailand for its Pakistan-based scenes. Furthermore, the upcoming show Alien: Earth, was filmed in Thailand last year.
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar of Uri (2019) fame, boasts a stellar cast including Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sara Arjun. The film is backed by Jio Studios and B62 Studios and is slated for a theatrical release on December 5th. This release date will see it compete with Prabhas' The Raja Saab and possibly Vishal Bhardwaj's film starring Shahid Kapoor.