At the outset, let us address two points used to throw shade at Dhurandhar ahead of its release. One was the violence; the second, the 20-year age gap between the leads, Ranveer Singh and Sara Arjun. True enough, the bloodshed is enough to make even the most ardent gore-fan flinch a couple of times.
However, there is a difference between glorifying violence and depicting it. Dhurandhar, for the most part, does the latter. And, given the settings, what is shown is a bare minimum—it is a reflection of the ecosystem rather than an attempt to awe the gore-hungry.
As to assertions of age-inappropriate casting. Yes, Ranveer is 40, and Sara is 20, and their characters indeed have a romantic subplot. One scene, fairly early on, was slightly discomforting because Sara just looked too young. But it soon becomes evident that the age difference is a script requirement. Later on, it is even spelt out in the screenplay—her character is 19, and he is perceived to be in his mid-30s. So, the casting, in this context, is age-appropriate. Therefore, such ill-informed criticism is not a valid reason to avoid this largely well-executed effort. A better reason to skip it would be the violence—it is not for the faint of heart and, to be fair, the trailer gives plenty of warning. For those who can stomach it, Dhurandhar is a mostly engaging experience, with a few minor glitches that can be major irritants.
Firstly, someone needs to sit director Aditya Dhar down and explain to him that his attempt to spoon-feed patriotic feelings and encourage remembrance of the vile plots India has endured over the years is offensive to patriotic Indians. How dare he assume that we would forget?
If the reasoning is to explain all this to younger audiences who will watch the movie now and in the future, it may be a more justified goal. Perhaps a few young ones, who did not live through these horrors, cannot fully appreciate what the rest of us felt as we learned about fellow Indians getting massacred. But, even if that were the aim, this film, without documentary-style fillers, would have been more than enough. Those who are unaware of the terror plots against India should perhaps take the effort to inform themselves and return to see how the movie depicts them.
That said, despite shoving in some unnecessary and cringey jingoism, Dhurandhar is a moving tribute to the sacrifice of India’s bravest. R. Madhavan, as the IB chief, sets the ball rolling with a stellar performance.
Ranveer is introduced soon, but his character, tellingly, does not attract too much attention to himself. The first big action set-piece, however, was slightly underwhelming. But Akshaye Khanna’s introduction into the story (as Rehman Dakait) lifts the movie. He carries it for most of the first half as Ranveer’s character gradually establishes his presence in the chain of events.
Even as the movie oscillates between peaks and troughs, it keeps us hooked as we try to decipher what is coming next. The romance, though an irritant, wasn’t too unbearable. The love song and the dance number could have — and should have — been avoided. But despite the lags caused by all this fluff, it picks up momentum again.
The segments pertaining to the 26/11 attacks are skilfully handled, despite the awareness of what’s coming. When the film shows the Pakistanis’ celebratory moment, it hits hard — conveyed particularly through Ranveer’s reaction. This—the way the story is constructed to lead up to the aftermath of the attacks—was exceedingly intelligent writing.
Arjun Rampal’s character, though promising much in the trailer, felt a tad underused. He will likely dominate the second part, scheduled to release in March 2026. Sanjay Dutt was disappointing; it felt like he was hard done by with the way his character was conceived and executed.
There are a couple of instances where the effects look shoddy. But, mostly, the outcome of the big bucks spent is evident on screen. This is a welcome relief when you think about the extremely low standards set by some other big-scale Bollywood movies.
The second half proceeds at a brilliant pace—not too fast, but not slow either. This, combined with the climactic fight, makes for a gripping finale. However, towards the end, we get a frustrating glimpse of the director’s urge to dumb things down—a flashback scene to remind the audience why a character was dying.
To be fair, Dhurandhar delivers the necessary highs. Now, it’s up to the second part to hit it out of the park. Aditya has proven himself capable and talented. There’s the nagging feeling that he is limited by market demands and the dismally low bar in Bollywood. However, he must break free of these to avoid limiting himself to a cage of his own making.
Movie: Dhurandhar
Language: Hindi
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sara Arjun, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt
Rating: 3/5
