The trailer of Dhurandhar sparked strong curiosity, largely due to its bold premise of Indian intelligence penetrating Pakistan’s internal networks. R. Madhavan’s character, clearly modeled on Ajit Doval, further intensified the buzz. Viewers also spent days online trying to decode which real-life personality Ranveer Singh might be representing.
Story
The film opens with the 1999 Kandahar hijack. Ajay Sanyal (R. Madhavan), the IB chief, negotiates skillfully with the hijackers and ensures the safety of passengers. The narrative rapidly moves through the major terror events of the early 2000s, including the Parliament attack. With national security under continuous threat, Sanyal proposes Operation Dhurandhar, which the Prime Minister approves.
Hamza (Ranveer Singh) is sent deep into Lyari to infiltrate the criminal syndicate run by Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). His path also crosses with ISI officer Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal), depicted as the brain behind the 26/11 attacks.
While undercover, Hamza develops feelings for the daughter (Sara Arjun) of local politician Jameel (Rakesh Bedi). The film then explores how he enters their world, earns trust, executes his objectives, and where his mission derails.
Performances
- Ranveer Singh delivers a layered and powerful performance, though at times he appears older than the character’s intended age.
- Sara Arjun is competent, but her pairing with Ranveer looks mismatched due to the evident age gap.
- Akshaye Khanna is excellent, bringing gravitas and menace as Rehman Dakait, continuing his strong form after Chhava.
- Arjun Rampal is convincing as the cold, intimidating Major Iqbal.
- Rakesh Bedi adds mild comic relief and does justice to his role.
- R. Madhavan steals the show with a superbly controlled and methodical performance.
- Sanjay Dutt slips into a familiar template with a performance similar to many of his recent roles.
Technical Aspects
Shashwat Sachdev’s background score works well for the tense moments, but the songs fail to leave any mark. Cinematography is visually rich, production design effectively recreates Pakistan, and overall technical values are strong. Editing, however, is not sharp enough for a film of this genre.
Strengths
- Strong individual performances
- Compelling underlying concept
Weaknesses
- Lengthy runtime
- Forced character elevations
- Excessive violence
- Weak emotional-patriotic payoff
- Slow pacing, especially post-interval
Analysis
Though Dhurandhar is built on a potent idea, the execution doesn’t fully match its ambition. The casting of Pakistani characters and the heroic build-up given to them—likely to justify their star power—softens the patriotic intensity that many expected.
The film promises clever infiltration drama, tactical brilliance, psychological tension, and edge-of-the-seat thrills. But the momentum dips once the mission begins. The romantic track feels unnecessary and disrupts the flow instead of enhancing the stakes.
The identity twist of the protagonist fails to land convincingly, and withholding his true backstory for the sequel (expected in March 2026) feels more frustrating than intriguing.
The tone leans toward cinematic spectacle rather than realism, missing the precision that made URI and Zero Dark Thirty so gripping. The nearly two-hour stretch before the interval adds to the fatigue, and the second half turns predictable in several places.
Reimagining real incidents like 26/11 through fictional characters is an interesting approach, but the emotional connect is surprisingly weak. The idea of making the protagonist an unseen witness to history is creative, yet the impact remains muted.
Overall, Dhurandhar feels like a long OTT-style series compressed into a single film—with songs, extra subplots, and stretched drama. Despite its potential, the lack of tightness, realism, and emotional force prevents it from reaching the thrilling heights expected from its premise.
Bottom Line
Dhurandhar: A grand idea weighed down by slow pacing, stretched runtime, and diluted impact. Ambitious but not fully satisfying.
