A new Bollywood spy thriller, Dhurandhar, is generating both blockbuster acclaim and sharp political unease in India and Pakistan for its incendiary take on the neighbours’ bitter rivalry.
The film, starring Ranveer Singh as a swaggering Indian spy on a perilous mission in Karachi, plunges audiences into a world of high-octane espionage and graphic violence framed squarely within India-Pakistan hostilities. While its riveting plot and action sequences have won praise, its hyper-nationalist tone and brutal portrayal of conflict have sparked intense debate.
Director Aditya Dhar, who rose to fame with the 2019 hit Uri: The Surgical Strike, returns to the political-thriller genre on an even grander scale. Dhar also co-wrote last year’s Article 370, about the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, which was endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In Dhurandhar, deadly firefights in cramped alleys and lingering torture scenes are filmed with visceral, suffocating intensity, leaving little to the imagination. The film arrives just months after the worst military clash between India and Pakistan in two decades, amplifying its political charge.
Online reactions reflect the divide: many celebrate its cinematic ambition and patriotic fervor, while others criticize its inflammatory messaging and exploitation of violence. As box-office numbers climb, the film has become more than entertainment—it is a cultural flashpoint, forcing a conversation about cinema, history, and the lines between patriotism and propaganda.
By James Kisoo
