Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge- A Necessary Propaganda (2026)
The director spends a full minute in each part in clarifying that Dhurandhar is a work of fiction. Most critics, being paid influencers, do not pay heed to such declarations. You are not what you say who you are, but what we tell you to be, is their mantra. Apart from them, the film is bound to lacerate the innards of Modi- Doval haters, sympathizers of Atiq Ahmed, wannabe pleasers and appeasers of Pakistan, pseudo-secular political brigade, as well as a motley collection of quislings best referred to as liberandus. It goes without saying that many in the Indian opposition, diehard lovers of Pakistan, those who refuse to say ‘India First’, the aman ki asha brigade, anti-Hindutva gang and the liberal-left jamaat which sells the soft drug of minorityism and micro-nationalism would find Dhurandhar too violent, vehement and fanciful, more so than even the violence perpetrated by jihadis in Uri, Pathakot, Pulwama and Pahalgham. That is exactly how the makers of the film would have wanted it to be perceived!
Majority India was thoroughly fed up by 2015 with liberal platitudes, persistent Indian supplication for peace, repeated rebuffs, periodic backstabbing and exhibition of weakness by us whenever push had come to shove. Surgical strikes of September 2016 received enthusiastic public response for our people detected in them a clear shift in India’s response. This was not just a hit back for Uri and Pathankot, but also for 26/11 as well as earlier humiliations. More than that, this was India signalling to the world its willingness to climb the escalation ladder.
Manmohan Singh’s government had blundered by accepting the reference to Baluchistan (and other areas) at Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2009, at a juncture when Indian people, fed up with Pakistan’s thousand cuts policy, had wanted India to bleed and hurt Pakistan. Every nationalist Indian had then craved for someone like Jaskirat Singh Rangi to have crossed over, embedded himself inside Pakistan and installed himself in a position to paralyze that rogue nation. If Ajit Doval was the answer to people’s prayers for a Super Spymaster, someone like Jaskirat had to be the instrument of his wrath for spreading mayhem inside the factory of jihad. After NDA’s return to power, elimination of Burhan Wani and subsequent surgical strikes, air was rife with expectation. Numerous happenings inside Pakistan in the next decade left unclaimed credits. RAW, GoI and Indian top leadership could not have gone ahead and directly boasted about their exceptional work. Dhurandhar sets the record straight about demonetization and ‘unknown men’, attributing credit where it was due.
Even if there is or was no Jaskirat, placing him on the scene before and during demonetization, during Mudrike pandemonium and when ‘unknown men’ breathed hellfire inside Pakistan satisfies the public urge. “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him”, Voltaire had argued. Then again, except confirmed naysayers, reasonable people do understand that neither could unknown men have operated without some sort of guidance, coordination, and tactical assistance, nor would Baloch fighters have made such huge dents inside Pakistan.
Demonetization is explained away as realistically as possible. Rather than cynically dismissing away the whole exercise as a Machiavellian political move, it must be seen as ‘snatching back’ of the key state through which run all roads to Delhi. Full credit to the makers of Dhurandhar for stitching together a credible narrative out of millions of fan fiction theories and presenting it as work of fiction. How can this masterful storytelling that aids in the birth of many nationalist myths and pays homage to the PM and the NSA be to the liking of those whose livelihoods and legacies are set to suffer irrevocably as a result of this crafty narrative building?
Nearly 7 hours and 15 minutes of runtime would have sunk any other film but die Dhurandhar fans like yours truly crave for this nationalistic confirmation to go on and on. The motion picture’s length does not tire because it so immensely inspires. On one hand, Dhurandhar challenges youngsters to make sacrifices in the service of the nation (Balidanam Parmo Dharmah), on the other, it reassures people that those running the country are finally imposing costs upon Pakistan for its misdeeds. Towards the very end, Jaskirat seems spent and tired, but can he afford to be? It is obvious that he has not walked into sunset to live happily ever after. The ‘asset’ jumped his debriefing to visit his hometown where he finally achieved closure. He would soon be back, as someone else, in some other capacity, serving the motherland for that has become the motto of his life.
It must be conceded here that Part 2 is not as brilliant as Part 1, simply because setting a table for dinner is always easier and more exciting than cleaning it up. Most of the characters were introduced in 1, with all their quirks and oddities. Part 2 is more about judgement, which must entail revelations and no-holds-barred violence. I found the beginning of 2 a tad too hurried. A bit of Kirat’s cooking during his trial and subsequent incarceration would have made cinematic sense. Ranveer Singh’s transformation from a restrained, subdued, underplaying mole in 1 into Thunder and Lightning of Bharat Mata in 2 is quite remarkable. Ranveer has lived the characters of both Jaskirat and Hamza in a very genuine manner.
Once he gets into the killing mode, Hamza develops a ‘chaska’ for it. Shedding the Pakistani blood becomes an exercise in revenge and catharsis. Sights of burning Lyari and blasted out Mudrike must have warmed the cockles of many a hearts like mine. Bursting cylinders, hurled grenades, thick chains, heavy bearings, crooked axles, sharp machetes lend their own aesthetics to the mayhem. That said, sex and violence were shot more beautifully in Animal, with oomph almost missing from Dhurandhar.
Rakesh Bedi, ‘Bareli ka Pocketmaar’ Gaurav Gera, Sanjay Dutt, Danish Pandor, Manav Gohil and R. Madhavan received wide acclaim for their roles in 1. In 2, Arjun Rampal plays the main protagonist, Major Iqbal, with chilling effect. But it is Suvinder Vicky, playing his foul-mouthed braggart father, Brigadier Jahangir, who steals the show in The Revenge. He represents the frustrated, delusional generation of ex-Pak Army officers who had committed untold atrocities in East Pakistan and have somehow convinced themselves that they had a measure of the Indian counterparts which the present top brass does not possess. His welcoming quip “Aa gaya Gandu” rubs salt upon his son’s fresh wounds. Finally fed up with his father’s incessant abuse, Major Iqbal grabs his tongue to shut his trap while he reminds him of the 1971 humiliation that the erstwhile generation had brought upon Pakistan. Everything said, Jameel Jamali’s claims regarding the poisoning of Bade Sahib Dawood Ibrahim do not cut much ice, but then, one must concede that Dhurandhar, after all, is a work of fiction.
Lastly, the director has perfectly captured DGISI’s ecstasy and fire as he trades defense secrets with the officers of Mossad. Raj Zutshi has brought Rasputin to life in this brief role. Never before has this Boney M song’s true potential been utilized like Aditya Dhar has done. That clip, as well as Brig. Jahangir’s ravings and rantings, lend enough joy to serve as the film’s recommendation.
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