Willow BergeronRanveer Singh's spy thriller Dhurandhar: The Revenge arrived on Netflix in Canada and the United States on May 15, 2026 — and it came with something Canadian and American audiences rarely receive: a version of the film that was never shown in Indian cinemas. The "Raw and Undekha" (raw and unseen) international cut runs three hours and 52 minutes, including footage that was removed by India's Central Board of Film Certification before its theatrical release. In Canada alone, the film had already generated an estimated $10.8 million at the box office, making the Dhurandhar franchise the top-grossing Indian film series in Canadian cinema history.
The story behind how different versions of the same film reach different audiences — legally, contractually, and under Canadian broadcasting regulation — is one that matters not only to film fans but to anyone working in Canada's creative economy.
How Split-Territory Film Distribution Actually Works
The Dhurandhar release is a textbook example of territorial licensing in the modern streaming era. Netflix holds the international streaming rights for the film outside India. JioHotstar holds the India-specific streaming rights. The two agreements are independent: they govern different territories, different content versions, and different financial terms.
Under Canada's broadcasting and streaming regulatory framework, foreign streaming platforms operating in Canada are subject to Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements that include contributing a percentage of Canadian revenues to the creation of Canadian content. This means that every time a Canadian streams Dhurandhar on Netflix, a portion of the revenue flows into the Canadian creative ecosystem.
For a Canadian film producer or independent creator watching this story, the takeaway is significant: the same piece of intellectual property can be licensed separately in every territory on Earth, with different versions, different platforms, and different financial arrangements in each one.
The Content Version Question: Who Controls What Audiences See?
The existence of a "raw and uncut" international version of Dhurandhar raises a question many Canadian consumers haven't thought to ask: when a film is licensed for distribution in Canada, who decides what version Canadian audiences receive?
The answer depends entirely on the terms of the distribution agreement. In Canada, voluntary content rating is administered by provincially-designated agencies — with Ontario's Ontario Film Authority and British Columbia's Consumer Protection BC among the most prominent — not the federal government. Unlike India's CBFC, which has mandatory pre-release censorship, Canadian ratings are primarily advisory for adult viewers.
This means that a foreign film can be distributed in Canada with content that would have been cut by another country's censors, provided the distributor has complied with applicable rating requirements. The "Raw and Undekha" version of Dhurandhar carries its Canadian rating for the international cut.
For Canadian entertainment lawyers advising clients on distribution deals, this distinction creates both opportunity and complexity. A Canadian distributor negotiating rights for a foreign film must ensure that the content version they are licensing is the one they actually intend to distribute — and that the licensing agreement clearly specifies which cut, which subtitle or dubbing track, and which territorial rights are included.
Box Office Milestones and What They Trigger Contractually
The Dhurandhar franchise's performance in Canada has been extraordinary by any measure. The sequel's $10.8 million Canadian gross surpasses the franchise's own predecessor — also a record-holder — and every previous Hindi-language film in Canadian cinema history. The North American opening weekend alone generated $15 million.
These milestones have real contractual consequences. Most film distribution agreements include escalator clauses that trigger additional payments when specific gross thresholds are crossed. Profit participation agreements — which allow producers, directors, or even actors to share in a film's revenue above certain benchmarks — become valuable instruments when a film performs at this level.
For Canadian co-production companies, service providers, or talent agencies that may hold any form of back-end participation in a production of this scale, understanding when and how those escalators are triggered is critical. The contracts governing these arrangements are typically complex, and disputes over gross calculation methodologies — particularly in the streaming era, where box office and streaming revenues are aggregated differently — are increasingly common.
Lessons for Canadian Creators From the Dhurandhar Model
The film's success in Canada reflects the size and spending power of Canada's South Asian diaspora, which is among the fastest-growing demographic segments in the country. For Canadian producers and distributors targeting diaspora audiences, the Dhurandhar story offers practical lessons in how to structure international deals:
Multi-platform licensing — licensing theatrical, streaming, and physical distribution rights separately — maximizes revenue by allowing each platform to optimize for its own market, as seen in the Dhurandhar Netflix international and JioHotstar India arrangement.
Version-specific agreements — explicitly defining which editorial cut is being licensed protects both parties from disputes about content expectations after a deal is signed.
Territorial floors and caps — negotiating minimum guarantee payments that reflect a territory's demographic reach, rather than its historical average for a particular genre, can substantially improve the financial terms available to rights holders targeting underserved diaspora markets.
As the boundaries between IMAX exclusives, premium streaming debuts, and theatrical holdback windows continue to shift in the Canadian market, the legal architecture governing distribution agreements must evolve with them.
Getting the Right Expertise
Whether you are a filmmaker negotiating your first international distribution deal, a production company reviewing the terms of an existing agreement, or an artist seeking to understand what your back-end participation actually means, the complexity of modern film rights requires expert guidance.
Entertainment and intellectual property lawyers who understand both Canadian regulatory requirements and international licensing practice are essential partners for anyone operating at this level of the creative economy.
Connect with a qualified entertainment lawyer through ExpertZoom to review your distribution agreements and ensure your rights are protected.
This article provides general legal information for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified lawyer for guidance specific to your situation.
