Dhurandhar review: Aditya Dhar’s lengthy yet loaded spy drama is anchored by Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna’s brilliance | Bollywood
Dhurandhar review
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi
Director: Aditya Dhar
Rating: ★★★
“Beta main intelligence mein kaam karta hoon, circus mein nahi”… As I stepped out of the theatre after Dhurandhar, this Manoj Bajpayee gem from the latest season of The Family Man was the only line ringing in my ears. He utters it when his son asks why he doesn’t have code names like Tiger, since he’s a spy, and it lands because it cuts through the mythmaking.
Dhurandhar review: Ranveer Singh gives his most restrained performance yet in the film.
We have spent years watching spies depicted as superhumans, after all. Dhurandhar pushes back against all of that. The question is: does it work?
The plot
The story begins with the longest hijack in Indian aviation history, the Kandahar episode of 1999. The Indian government is rattled, and things only escalate with the Parliament attack in 2001. The intelligence community has had enough, and Operation Dhurandhar is born. Hamza (Ranveer Singh) slips into the underbelly of terror networks posing as a Pakistani and starts working his way up through Rehman Dakait (brought alive by Akshaye Khanna). Complicating matters is Major Iqbal from the ISI (Arjun Rampal), a man committed to making India bleed. How far will Hamza go?
Well, far enough for the makers to announce in the end that there will indeed be a part 2 releasing in March 2026. From what I hear, the footage is already shot. And quite a few massy scenes from the trailer have clearly been saved for the second instalment.
What works for Dhurandhar
Aditya Dhar had proven his command over this genre with his debut film itself, Uri: The Surgical Strike, and one of his trademarks is structuring stories in chapters. Even when he is only producing and writing, like in Article 370. Dhurandhar follows the same.
The first half spends nearly two hours building the world, with Aditya delving deeply into Hamza’s mission. Saini S Johray, the production designer, has done a fabulous job of recreating Pakistan. The story never panders to a star image and is focused on its ‘aaj ka India ghar mein ghus ke maarega’ approach. The pace, though, raises a fair question. At a time when micro dramas lasting minutes are being made, will the audience stay with a three-and-a-half-hour film?
Aditya’s direction is solid and his grip on the subject clear, although the dialogue occasionally overwhelms the action. There is a romantic track between newcomer Sara Arjun and Ranveer that begins well, but the sheer volume of events creates fatigue by intermission.
The second half shifts gears effectively. The tension finally builds, and the climax delivers the release that viewers have been waiting for. And yes, the film is not shy of bloodshed, beheading included. That is the only real overlap Dhurandhar has with Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, so fan clubs battling it out on social media can relax.
Movie Review
Dhurandhar
An Indian spy infiltrates the terror network in Pakistan dismantling them from within, even as the threat of his cover being blown looms large.
Cast
Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi
Verdict
Dhurandhar’s three-and-a-half-hour length works against it, but Aditya Dhar’s direction, aided by the performances – chiefly Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna – elevate the film.
The performances excel
The performances are what keep you invested. Yes, even for three and a half hours. Ranveer Singh plays a part unlike anything he has attempted before. He is completely restrained, saving his rage for the moments that demand it. The tug of war between maintaining his cover and watching his country be humiliated is conveyed with real conviction.
Akshaye Khanna, as the calculating Rehman, matches Ranveer beat for beat in terms of screen time and uses every minute with unforced swagger. Sanjay Dutt, billed as a special appearance playing Chaudhary Aslam, slips naturally into a role that thrives on machismo.
Sara Arjun makes a confident debut and holds her own opposite Ranveer. Rakesh Bedi, playing the slippery politician Jameel, is in terrific form and feels perfectly cast. Arjun Rampal folds into his character with ease. Saumya Tandon, in her one breakdown scene, is effective.
The music by Shashwat Sachdev works wonderfully in the background, with old Hindi classics recreated. But when it pushes forward, it only slows things down. A song featuring Krystle D Souza and Ayesha Khan, for instance, breaks the pace rather than lifting it.
In the end, Dhurandhar works best as a character study wrapped in a sprawling espionage drama. The storytelling is indulgent and detailed, but the emotional stakes and the cast keep you hooked. Trim thirty minutes and this would have been a knockout. As it stands, it is a sturdy watch.
