Rating: ⭐⭐½ / 5
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Saumya Tandon, Danish Pandor
Director: Aditya Dhar
Producers: Aditya Dhar, Lokesh Dhar, Jyoti Deshpande
Music: Shashwat Sachdev
Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha
Editing: Shivkumar V. Panicker
Release Date: 5 December 2025
The trailer for Dhurandhar built significant anticipation with its promise of a high-intensity espionage thriller set against India’s covert intelligence operations inside Pakistan. Adding to the intrigue was R. Madhavan in a role reminiscent of Ajit Doval, and the curiosity around which real-life operative Ranveer Singh might be portraying.
Story Overview
The film opens with the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, with Madhavan’s Ajay Sanyal—IB chief—leading tense negotiations to save hostages. The narrative soon jumps to the 2001 Parliament attack. As terror events escalate, Sanyal proposes a deep-cover intelligence mission: Operation Dhurandhar.
Hamza (Ranveer Singh) enters Pakistan through Afghanistan, embedding himself in Karachi’s Lyari underworld led by Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). He also encounters ISI’s Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal), who is shown orchestrating the 26/11 plot.
During his covert mission, Hamza grows close to a local politician’s daughter (Sara Arjun). The story follows his infiltration journey—where he gains trust, where he falters, and how the mission progresses.
Performances
- Ranveer Singh delivers a commanding performance, portraying vulnerability and intensity with ease. His only drawback is appearing slightly older for the role.
- Sara Arjun tries to hold her ground but looks too young opposite Ranveer, which affects the chemistry.
- Akshaye Khanna once again proves his screen power with an imposing portrayal of Rehman Dakait.
- Arjun Rampal is excellent as the menacing Major Iqbal.
- R. Madhavan is exceptional—his method acting elevates every scene he appears in.
- Sanjay Dutt is competent but predictable due to similar roles he has played recently.
- Supporting actors, including Rakesh Bedi, add mild humour and grounding.
Technical Aspects
- Music: Shashwat Sachdev’s background score enhances emotional beats, though the songs don’t stand out.
- Cinematography: Rich visuals and authentic locations convincingly recreate Pakistan.
- Editing: Could have been tighter—runtime heavily affects the pace.
- Production Design: Strong, detailed, and immersive.
What Works
- Powerful performances by the lead cast
- Interesting core concept involving India’s covert operations
What Doesn’t Work
- Overlong runtime
- Forced love story
- Excessive violence
- Lack of high-octane patriotic moments
- Unrealistic elevations for Pakistani characters
Analysis
Dhurandhar has a compelling foundation but struggles in execution. Despite the intrigue of a classified mission and strong performances, the film misses the tension, clever strategy, and adrenaline viewers expect from a patriotic espionage thriller.
The love track slows the narrative and feels unnecessary. The identity reveal towards the climax falls flat and seems designed only to set up the sequel arriving in March 2026.
The pacing becomes a major challenge, especially with an interval that arrives nearly two hours in. While the first act is engaging, the film loses steam once the mission intensifies, becoming predictable in the second half.
The portrayal of Pakistani characters—played by major actors—sometimes overshadows the Indian mission and reduces emotional impact, especially when dealing with sensitive historical events like 26/11.
Despite striking visuals and solid performances, the lack of urgency, realism, and patriotic punch keeps Dhurandhar from reaching the heights of films like Uri or Zero Dark Thirty. The result feels more like a stretched OTT series turned into a film.
Verdict:
A strong idea weakened by slow pacing and unnecessary subplots—Dhurandhar ends up feeling stretched and underwhelming despite its potential.
