I didn’t want to watch Dhurandhar after seeing the trailer — the only reason I went was Akshaye Khanna. He does very few films, and I wanted to see him on the big screen. I’m glad I went.
This movie has everything. For a 3.5-hour film, it has a very tight screenplay — it doesn’t feel that it’s that long. The background music is classy and massy at the same time. The songs are good and the action is also fast-paced. The movie is sensibly divided into chapters, which helps keep the audience’s attention. And last but not least — every actor has nailed their part.
The standout, definitely for me, was Akshaye Khanna. What screen presence, man! Too good. In one scene, when he goes to meet the Baloch people — where they’ve planned some kind of traditional performance to welcome him — he walks and dances in a manner that brings out something from him that very rarely actors can find on their own. He reminded me of Irrfan Khan in many films: when he walks and sways effortlessly, there is this aura around him as if he is free — as if he has touched something divine. And the irony is: in the movie, he’s there to buy guns and supply them to the ISI for the 26/11 attacks. A person who is a terrorist and evil (he kills his own father by smashing his head) is, in some way, carrying this godly aura. That — to me — is the peak of performance. When you touch it, you touch freedom. That’s my analysis. And it’s not just that scene. In another moment, when he pushes Ranveer Singh’s character (Hamza), the anger he brings to his face shows the brutal man he truly is. So you do get to see that side as well. And the music helps his character shine. I think this is one of Akshaye Khanna’s most iconic performances — he totally steals the show.
Apart from Akshaye Khanna, in order of acting brilliance: Ranveer Singh was superb; Gaurav Gera, as the undercover Indian agent in Pakistan, Does a very fine job — I hope he does more films; Rakesh Bedi brings some much needed light relief and is very good; Arjun Rampal, as the ISI chief, is menacing and performs exceptionally; and Sanjay Dutt, with his impeccable timing and screen presence, brings a different charm. The love interest of Ranveer — Sara Arjun — gives a good debut performance. The cousin of Rehman Dakait, “Ujaair Baloch,” is portrayed by Danish Pandor (or implicitly credited; not all sources are clear). Overall, the performances by all actors are smashing. And a special mention to Madhavan as well for playing the raw chief effortlessly.
Now, let’s talk about the inconsistencies. The film doesn’t know whether it’s fiction or reality. After every major event, a real footage or audio clip is shown — but in between, everything is fictional. So one moment we find ourselves cheering for a stylish gangster; the next, we realize he’s a real terrorist. That duality makes it hard on our conscience. And for people whose loved ones died in those incidents — it must feel deeply disrespectful. It’s a dilemma. I hope artists understand this responsibility when dealing with real tragedies.
In another scene — during the IC-814 hijack — a terrorist says to the RAW chief: “Hindu kaum bahut darpok hai.” I don’t know if this sentence was actually spoken, but even if it was — it should have been avoided. Because it frames India as only Hindu. The terrorist would have still remained a terrorist without that line.
The last inconsistency I noticed: the RAW chief Sanyal mentions several times that the current government is incompetent, and asks his junior to collect evidence for the “future government” to act on — as if he’s sure a new, better government will come. That feels like a subtle dig at the then-government, and a nod to whoever might come next. Given that the next government turned out to be a certain party in 2014, it feels like favoritism. This undermines neutrality. They took real incidents and, in between, inserted their own preferred political narrative — swaying audience sentiments in a particular direction. That is not right. It hurts the space for audiences who just want to appreciate the army’s efforts.
That is why I say: Dhurandhar is a rare event. The film is brilliant technically and as entertainment — but it is deeply inconsistent in its politics. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
