Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’ Sparks Nationalist Cinema Debate, Critics Face Backlash

MUMBAI — Bollywood has delivered one of its biggest commercial hits of the year with Dhurandhar, an action-packed spy thriller starring Ranveer Singh as an Indian agent, Hamza, on a perilous mission in Pakistan’s Karachi. However, the film’s financial success is matched only by the intense, and at times toxic, public debate it has provoked over its political messaging.

Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar—known for previous politically charged blockbusters Uri: The Surgical Strike and Article 370—falls squarely within a growing genre of hyper-nationalist Indian cinema that openly references sensitive historical and contemporary issues.

The film, which plunges into graphic violence and espionage set against decades of India-Pakistan tensions, has been praised for its cinematic ambition but criticized for its oversimplified, inflammatory political tone.

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Despite being legally cleared as a work of fiction, the narrative openly weaves in real-life historical flashpoints, including the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, using actual news footage and audio recordings. This blending of real trauma with a fictional, high-octane plot has critics concerned that the film is blurring the line between entertainment and propaganda.

The polarization has spilled over from online forums into a wider controversy. The Film Critics’ Guild, an association of reviewers, issued a strong statement this week condemning the “targeted attacks, harassment, and hate” directed toward critics who provided negative or politically critical reviews of Dhurandhar.

The backlash highlights a growing trend where commercial films with a nationalistic bent are shielded by staunch supporters who accuse dissenting reviewers of political bias. Despite this, many viewers reject the political arguments entirely, insisting they watched the film purely for its exhilarating action and entertainment value.