Wikipedia pages for ‘’Dhurandhar’ and ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ locked; editors debate “propaganda film” label

The ability to edit the Wikipedia pages for the 2026 Indian spy-thriller films ‘Dhurandhar’ and the sequel ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ has been restricted to vetted users, as both editors and members of the general public debate whether the sequel can be called a “propaganda film”.

“Dhurandhar: The Revenge..is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language spy action-thriller propaganda film…written and directed by Aditya Dhar,” stated the start of the Wikipedia entry for ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge,’ the sequel of the ‘Dhurandhar’ duology starring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.

Screenshot of the Wikipedia entry for ‘Dhurandhar’ as of March 25, 2026
| Photo Credit:
Wikipedia

As of March 25, a small lock symbol marked with the letter ‘E’ placed on the top right of the Wikipedia pages for ‘Dhurandhar’ and the sequel ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ confirmed that they were under what Wikipedia calls ‘Extended confirmed protection.’ This means that editing is restricted to users with the extended confirmed user access level, Wikipedia administrators, and bots.

“This is designated as a contentious topic with special editing restrictions. Participation in any request for comment within this topic is restricted to extended confirmed users. You are not logged in, so you are not extended confirmed,” stated a Wikipedia notice when the discussion page for ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ was opened.

In the discussion page for the sequel, various Wikipedia users argued both for and against calling the film “propaganda,” with some citing reviews or similarly controversial films from around the world, in order to back up their points. Others questioned whether film reviews could be treated as sources for identifying a film as “propaganda.”

Wikipedia also noted that there had been attempts to recruit the article’s editors.

According to the Wikipedia page, the main issue for Wikipedia users and editors appeared to be whether calling the movie a “propaganda film” was giving “undue weight” to minority views.

When ‘Dhurandhar’ released in 2025, the film was praised for its cinematography, plot, sound score, and violence-packed action. However, critics of the film flagged inaccurate depictions of real life political events, and a stereotypical portrayal of Pakistani people. The films were praised by many right-wing Hindu movie-goers across the country, while others accused it of promoting intolerance towards Muslims.

Debates over how to present controversial topics on Wikipedia are common, with such pages being locked in order to prevent digital vandalism or edits by biased non-members. The Wikipedia page entry for the Gaza Genocide has also been similarly locked, as editors argue whether the term “genocide” can be used.

“Disputes on Wikipedia are resolved by consensus, not by majority vote,” stated the platform in a notice.