Director/Writer: Aditya Dhar
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi
Duration: 196 minutes
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Rating: 4.5
One cannot deny Aditya Dhar’s talent as a filmmaker and writer, his latest creation Dhurandhar is not just a film, it is a bold statement that will change the direction of storytelling in Indian cinema, his latest spy thriller is filled with so much thrill, adventure, twists and mind games that one needs to watch it twice to get the full gravitas and depth of the subtle story and performances.
It is billed as the biggest and boldest event of 2025, and truly it is a perfect blend of film skills, scale, performances, emotions and stellar music, making it an experience that breaks spy thriller tradition. The makers tell a story filled with emotions, complexity, strategies, mystery and scale that will remain imprinted on our minds for a long time.
The film takes inspiration from terrorist attacks on Indian soil, IC-814 hijacking, 2001 Parliament attack, Mumbai attacks and more, which caused untold unrest, terror and loss of lives and it is here that Dhar created this masterpiece which is a true example of India fighting back. Following these attacks, Madhavan as IB chief Ajay Sanyal, burning with a desire to strike back in the most brutal and smart way, hatches a plan to destroy these terrorist groups from within. He is downright mighty and powerful, but also calm, discreet, and a brilliant taskmaster. His dialogues are definitely going to get whistles in theatres.
Ranveer Singh who played Hamza in the role of Madhavan is giving the best performance of his career. He’s raw, gritty and powerful to the point of explosiveness, you can practically see the sparkle in his eyes. Hamza is hurt, unstable and charmingly charismatic all at the same time. He transforms from a calm and collected worker to a powerful man full of anger, who is deadly, cold and ruthless, it is very impressive to watch. Ranveer rules the screen with his hardcore action avatar.
Apart from Ranveer and Madhavan, the ensemble cast is equally powerful and charismatic – Akshay Khanna as the dacoit Rehman is scary, smart and deadly, a force of untold evil and cruelty. Sanjay Dutt plays the fearless SP Chaudhary Aslam aka The Jinn, who is able to impress the audience with pure and raw sincerity. The cool, menacing presence of Major Iqbal, played by Arjun Rampal, is one of the reasons why the tension builds and his performance is brilliant, while newbie Sara Arjun wins hearts through her cute and controlled performance. Each actor embraces his role and is completely involved, thus creating an electrifying and entertaining cinematic atmosphere.
Despite the runtime of 196 minutes, the film does not lose pace or become dull at all. Dhar keeps his pace tight, ensuring that each scene and sequence reflects an action or event from the film.
The background music is always there as a support, driving the film forward and ensuring that there is never a dull moment. The film’s music is one of its most solid supports, arguably the album of the year or decade, thus serving to heighten the tension, underline the revelations, and turn the climax into a full-blown cinematic thunderbolt.
The film is not as violent as people might assume, except for a few obvious violent scenes, each one is well explained within the story. The tension that is felt most comes from character development, emotional engagement, and the political drama that is the plot.
The first part takes great care in building the world and its characters, thus the interlude is pure goosebumps. After the break, the conspiracies run deeper, power shifts from one hand to another, and Hamza organizes the mafia underworld through strategy, betrayal and even a planned marriage thus creating a perfect setup for the upcoming Eid 2026 bombshell part two.
Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar and Aditya Dhar, along with B62 Studios and Jio Studios, have not only created a world that is cinematically huge but also very real and richly textured. His willingness to produce on a large scale, daring story, hard-hitting action and an amazing ensemble cast is the light that shines in every frame thus taking Indian genre cinema to a new level.
Dhurandhar is a genre-defining, mind-blowing spectacle that combines brutal execution, meticulous craft and unforgettable cinematic effects. With brilliant direction from Aditya Dhar and a career-defining performance from Ranveer Singh, this is one of the boldest and most compelling thrillers of the year.
The pieces are in motion, the stakes are high, and the wait for part two is exciting – fully justified by the story, the performances, and the sheer cinematic ambition.