DhurandharReview:
BY anrwriting✍🏽 [ Film critic]
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.75/5)
Release Date: December 05, 2025
After the roaring success of Uri, director Aditya Dhar returns with his second directorial venture Dhurandhar, a sprawling spy thriller headlined by Ranveer Singh. Backed by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, the film arrives amid significant pre-release curiosity—both due to its intense promotional material and the unexpected controversy stirred by Yami Gautam’s social media outburst targeting Bollywood’s paid-promotion culture. The debate that followed pushed the film further into the spotlight… but does the 214-minute narrative justify the hype?
Story:
Set against the tense atmosphere following the 2001 Parliament attacks, the Indian Intelligence Bureau, led by its chief (played by R. Madhavan), launches a top-secret mission—Operation Dhurandhar. The plan: infiltrate Pakistan’s internal power structure by planting an agent in a sensitive zone.
Enter Hanza (Ranveer Singh), an undercover operative who penetrates local criminal circles and gains access to the ISI’s leadership. How does he get close to the enemy? How does he serve Indian interests from within? And how far does his sacrifice stretch? Dhurandhar attempts to answer these questions while teeing up a promised second part.
Performances:
Madhavan delivers a superbly controlled and convincing performance, strongly reminiscent of national security strategist Ajit Doval. His physical transformation, measured body language, and commanding presence elevate every frame he appears in.
Despite limited dialogue, Khanna pulls off a riveting act, relying on sharp expressions and nuanced silence—a performance that lingers long after the scene ends.
Ranveer owns the character of Hanza with grit and raw intensity. However, the script never fully establishes why he is driven to such patriotic extremes. This emotional vacuum prevents the audience from completely travelling with him. Hints of backstory seemingly reserved for Part 2 feel insufficient.
Arjun Rampal is chilling as a sadistic ISI leader. Sanjay Dutt brings heft through presence, though the obvious use of body doubles in action sequences undermines the character’s impact.
Despite narrative justification for her casting, Sara Arjun appears too young and is unconvincingly stylised as a seductive lead—an aspect likely to alienate sections of the audience.
Technical Brilliance
Music & Background Score
Shashwat Sachdev’s work is nothing short of electrifying.
The songs are vibrant and cleverly curated.
The background score is explosive, especially during action sequences.
The retro tracks sprinkled throughout the film are destined to trend.
Visual Craftsmanship
The technical departments excel across the board:
Vikas Nowlakha’s cinematography is atmospheric and gritty.
Make-up, prosthetics, and art direction showcase exceptional finesse.
The action choreography is startlingly realistic—brutal, bloody, and gripping enough to deliver a visceral cinematic high.
Direction & Writing
Aditya Dhar approaches this spy narrative with the aesthetics of a gangster drama, lending the film a unique tone. The Pakistan Balochistan cultural detailing is fresh and occasionally unsettling in the best possible way.
However, the film’s biggest drawback is its run time of 214 minutes. Even after such a long haul, the audience is left midway, asked to wait another year for the concluding chapter. A more complete ending would have offered far better emotional closure.
Political commentary also makes its presence felt:
The film sharply criticises the former Congress government,
and features lines that seem tailor-made to resonate with BJP supporters.
These choices may spark needless controversy, although similar tendencies were visible in Dhar’s earlier work.
As a director, Dhar displays remarkable control over tone, staging, and action. But as a storyteller, he struggles to deliver a fully satisfying arc.
Verdict:
Dhurandhar is an ambitious, technically superior espionage thriller that brings a bold new flavour to the genre. Its thunderous music, stunning action sequences, and powerhouse performances especially from Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, and Ranveer Singh make it a compelling theatrical experience.
But the overstretched runtime, incomplete narrative, and occasionally heavy-handed political messaging dilute an otherwise potent film.
