Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar has become 2025's most talked-about Hindi film—and not just because it crossed ₹556 crore worldwide in 10 days. The 214-minute espionage thriller starring Ranveer Singh has split the film industry down the middle, with critics calling it everything from "a power-packed thriller" to "propaganda" and "torture porn," while audiences have embraced it with an 8.6 IMDb rating and record-breaking ticket sales.
If you're trying to figure out whether Dhurandhar is worth your time and money, you're in the right place. This article compiles everything critics, audiences, and industry insiders are saying about the film—from performance reviews to box office numbers to the harassment controversy that followed negative reviews.
What Critics Are Saying: The Great Divide
Professional film critics delivered one of the most polarized responses in recent Bollywood history, with Rotten Tomatoes registering just 50% approval from 12 critics and an average rating of 6.3/10.
The Positive Reviews
The Times of India's Renuka Vyavahare (3.5/5) offered one of the strongest endorsements:
"An extension of Uri's 'Yeh naya India hai, yeh ghar mein ghusega bhi aur maarega bhi' sentiment, despite its length and unflinching violence, Dhurandhar grips you from start to finish and never lets go."
She called it a "power-packed Karachi mafia thriller" with Ranveer Singh delivering a "subdued yet scorching" performance. Read full review at Times of India
India Today's Vineeta Kumar (3/5) praised the film's ambition:
"Dhurandhar is a sprawling, muscular, politically sharp thriller that bites off a lot, and thanks to Khanna's explosive brilliance, chews most of it successfully."
Read full review at India Today
Bollywood Hungama (3/5) declared:
"On the whole, DHURANDHAR is a well-made, ambitious big-screen experience with top-notch craft, memorable moments and some truly outstanding performances, led by a career-best turn from Ranveer Singh and a superbly controlled, scene-lifting act by Akshaye Khanna."
However, they noted "the excessive run time, dry stretches and the decision to tell this as a two-part saga will restrict its appeal." Read full review at Bollywood Hungama
The Week's Karthik Ravindranath (3/5) offered balance:
"The film's powerful core is diluted by overt jingoism, unnecessary elements, and a tendency to dumb down its message for the audience. Despite these irritants, it remains a largely engaging, albeit flawed, tribute to India's heroes."
The Critical Takedowns
The Hollywood Reporter India's Rahul Desai was sharply critical, calling it "All Style, No Substance":
"Aditya Dhar's second film after Uri: The Surgical Strike stars Ranveer Singh as a patriotic spy trapped in an inert and distracted action thriller... It's almost a gangster biopic that forgets it's a nationalistic espionage drama."
Read full review at The Hollywood Reporter India
Scroll.in's Nandini Ramnath published perhaps the most scathing review under the headline "Dhurandhar film review: A techno-jingo gorefest":
"Dhurandhar, a two-parter just like Rakta Charitra, is seething with the kind of torture porn of which the Indian censor board used to be leery... D-Day did a better job in a shorter runtime of showing how Indian spies risk life and limb to operate in Pakistan."
Mint's Uday Bhatia labeled it outright:
"Dhurandhar offers sadism and expert bad vibes and it shares something else fundamental with Dhar's previous work—it's propaganda in service of a hawkish India, designed to flatter the ruling BJP leadership."
Sucharita Tyagi (Film Critics Guild Vice-Chairperson) maintained her mixed review:
"At 214 minutes, Dhurandhar overstays its welcome, unable to land neither the espionage, nor the jingoism with much lasting impact."
Despite this, she praised Ranveer Singh as delivering "a career-best performance, proving once again why he is one of the most watchable serious, dramatic actors in Hindi cinema."
Box Office Performance: Record-Breaking Second Weekend
Dhurandhar's commercial success defied its mixed critical reception, establishing multiple all-time records that stunned industry analysts.
Opening Weekend Performance
- Day 1 (December 5, 2024): ₹28.60 crore—Ranveer Singh's biggest opening ever
- Opening Weekend: ₹106.50 crore
- Week 1 Total: ₹218.00 crore
Historic Second Weekend
The film achieved the highest second weekend ever in Hindi cinema at ₹146.60 crore, surpassing Pushpa 2's ₹140.72 crore:
- 2nd Friday: ₹34.70 crore (all-time record)
- 2nd Saturday: ₹53.70 crore (beat Pushpa 2's ₹46.50 crore)
- 2nd Sunday: ₹58.20 crore (beat Pushpa 2's ₹54 crore)
Cumulative Totals (as of December 14, 2024)
- India Net: ₹364.60 crore
- India Gross: ₹434.05 crore
- Overseas: ₹122.60 crore ($13.6 million)
- Worldwide Total: ₹556.65 crore ($66 million)
The film became the fastest 2025 release to reach ₹300 crore (9 days) and surpassed Uri: The Surgical Strike's lifetime collection (₹244 crore) in just 10 days.
Territory Breakdown
Strongest performance came from:
- Mumbai: ₹64 crore
- Delhi-UP: ₹45 crore
- East Punjab: ₹23.5 crore
Note: The film was banned across all GCC countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman) for its anti-Pakistan content, significantly limiting overseas potential.
Budget & Profitability
Budget estimates vary widely from ₹100-280 crore across sources. Producer Girish Johar confirmed the scale was "more than ₹250 crore" for both parts combined. Koimoi assigned a "Plus" verdict indicating hit status with 62% ROI.
Performances: Universal Acclaim Despite Narrative Criticisms
While critics disagreed on the film's overall merit, performances earned widespread acclaim.
Akshaye Khanna: The Unanimous Scene-Stealer
Akshaye Khanna's portrayal of gangster Rehman Dakait emerged as the film's unanimous highlight across all reviews.
123Telugu's Siddartha Toleti wrote:
"Akshaye Khanna's commanding screen presence and majestic portrayal dominate every frame... It is Akshaye Khanna who takes the cake with his outstanding performance."
IMDb user reviews drew comparisons to iconic villains:
"The undisputed scene-stealer is Akshaye Khanna, who plays the gangster Rehman Dakait with a chilling blend of vulnerability and menace."
Critics compared his performance to Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds) and Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men).
His entry song "Fa9la" by Bahraini rapper Flipperachi topped Spotify's Viral 50 Global chart, drawing comparisons to Bobby Deol's "Jamal Kudu" moment from Animal.
Ranveer Singh: Career-Best Performance
Ranveer Singh's restrained turn won praise across the critical spectrum.
Sucharita Tyagi noted:
"Ranveer Singh in a career-best performance, proving once again why he is one of the most watchable serious, dramatic actors in Hindi cinema."
Bollywood Hungama called it a "career-best turn from Ranveer Singh" with a "superbly controlled" performance.
IMDb user reviews described him as:
"Arguably the best performance of his career... embodying raw intensity, using his eyes and body language."
R. Madhavan: Limited But Impactful
R. Madhavan's brief role as IB Chief Ajay Sanyal (modeled on NSA Ajit Doval) drew attention despite limited screen time.
Bollywood Hungama noted he is "terrific and leaves a huge mark" despite being in the first part primarily.
The actor himself teased in interviews:
"My screen presence is limited in the first part. But in the second part...there is a lot of my character as he trains Ranveer's character in the skills of espionage warfare."
Madhavan underwent 4-hour makeup transformations daily to match the real-life inspiration.
Audience Reception: The Real Story
The disconnect between professional critics (50% Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reception became one of the film's defining narratives.
Record-Breaking Ticket Sales
BookMyShow recorded its highest single-day ticket sales ever—4.9 lakh tickets in 24 hours—with some locations running:
- 24-hour screenings
- Post-midnight shows at 1:30 AM, 4:00 AM, and 6:00 AM
- Week 1: 3.31 million tickets sold
Audience Ratings
- IMDb: 8.6/10 (533 total reviews)
- BookMyShow: 9.1/10
What Audiences Are Saying
Positive IMDb Reviews:
"This is THE best movie of 2025 without a blink of an eyelid! The story grips you tightly from start to finish."
"Blood in Shadows... It's brutal, uncompromising, and unapologetically hard-edged. Perfectly assembled cast."
Critical Audience Voices:
"The film collapses under its own weight. There are too many characters, too many arcs... The romance between Ranveer Singh and Sara Arjun is easily the weakest part."
Social Media Phenomenon
Social media saw theatres described as "turning into stadiums" with reports of audiences chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" during the climax. Viral hashtags included #Dhurandhar, #DhurandharReview, and #Blockbuster.
Real-Life Inspirations: Fact vs Fiction
Dhurandhar draws extensively from documented history while maintaining fictional elements, prompting the CBFC to classify it as "a work of fiction."
Ajit Doval (R. Madhavan's Ajay Sanyal)
The IB Director character is closely modeled on India's current NSA Ajit Doval, who spent seven years undercover in Pakistan and was directly involved in the IC-814 Kandahar negotiations depicted in the film's opening.
Director Aditya Dhar advised Madhavan to "make his lips thinner" for accuracy. The actor praised Dhar's preparation:
"I listened to the research he had done, and I wondered, 'Where has this man been all this time? This is national-level research.'"
Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna's Character)
Based on real Lyari gangster Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch (1975/1979-2009), who controlled approximately 85% of Lyari by the late 2000s.
The real Rehman was:
- Wanted in over 80 criminal cases
- Killed in a police encounter on August 9, 2009
- Allegedly committed extreme violence including playing football with severed enemy heads
Chaudhry Aslam Khan (Sanjay Dutt's Character)
Based on the real Pakistani SSP who led the 2009 operation killing Rehman Dakait. The officer was later killed by Taliban suicide bombing in January 2014.
His widow Naureen Aslam threatened legal action against the filmmakers over potential misrepresentation.
Historical Events
The film depicts:
- IC-814 hijacking (December 24-31, 1999) where negotiations resulted in releasing three terrorists including Masood Azhar
- 2001 Parliament attack
- References to 2008 Mumbai attacks
The fictional "Operation Dhurandhar" draws inspiration from Pakistan's real Operation Lyari (2012-2017) crackdown.
Research Consultant
Aditya Raj Kaul (NDTV Senior Executive Editor) provided geopolitical architecture for the film. His documentary "Hunting the Hijackers" traced IC-814 hijackers and formed the foundation for his collaboration with Dhar.
Kaul stated:
"Audiences want real stories—not cosmetic thrills."
Pakistan's Response: Counter-Narrative & Controversy
Pakistani officials and media strongly criticized the film's portrayal of Lyari and Karachi.
Official Response
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon declared on December 13:
"Indian movie Dhurandhar is yet another example of negative propaganda by the Indian film industry against Pakistan, especially targeting Lyari. Lyari is not violence—it is culture, peace, talent, and resilience."
He announced counter-film "Mera Lyari" for January 2026 release.
A constitutional petition was filed in Karachi court against the film for allegedly using images of late Benazir Bhutto and PPP party imagery without authorization.
Pakistani Voices: Grudging Admiration
Content creator Bilal Hassan (@mystapaki) admitted:
"Very, very well made. Pakistan isn't telling its own stories, and the vacuum leaves room for others to narrate our history on our behalf."
He praised action sequences and Akshaye Khanna's performance while noting specific inaccuracies:
"Someone needs to tell them that no one, absolutely no one wears shalwar kameez with half sleeves in Pakistan."
The Harassment Controversy: Critics Under Attack
The film triggered unprecedented online harassment of critics, prompting the Film Critics Guild to issue a formal statement on December 11:
"The Film Critics Guild strongly condemns the targeted attacks, harassment, and hate directed toward film critics for their reviews of Dhurandhar... Several of our members have faced intimidation, including direct threats and vicious online campaigns."
Anupama Chopra's Review Removed
Anupama Chopra's review for The Hollywood Reporter India was removed/made private after calling the film "exhausting, relentless and frenzied" with "too much testosterone, shrill nationalism and inflammatory anti-Pakistan narratives."
Actor Paresh Rawal publicly attacked her:
"Aren't you tired of being Miss Irrelevant?"
This triggered cascading abuse from fans.
Industry Silence
Critic Uday Bhatia summarized the atmosphere:
"I can't believe the filth so many critics here are being subjected to this week. A vile country, and a shitty industry that won't stand up for critics but expects critics to stand up for them."
Koimoi offered an enthusiastic positive review in contrast:
"Is this one of the best Spy thrillers coming out of Indian Cinema? Definitely Yes! Better than the Spy Universe? Well, in my opinion, yes!"
Celebrity Endorsements: Industry Voices
Major Bollywood figures publicly praised the film, adding to its cultural footprint.
Deepika Padukone
"Dhurandhar has been watched and is worth every minute of those 3.36 hours. So do yourself a favour and get to the cinema hall now! So incredibly proud of you, Ranveer Singh."
Hrithik Roshan (Nuanced Take)
"I love cinema... Dhurandhar is an example of that. Loved the storytelling. It's a cinema."
He later qualified:
"I may disagree with the politics of it, and argue about the responsibilities us filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world."
Karan Johar
Declared it "my all-time favourite performance of Ranveer Singh."
Siddharth Anand (YRF Director)
"DHURANDHAR is nasha. It stays for long with you... It is a prime example of EVERY damn department performing to their peak!"
Kantara Controversy: Pre-Release Misstep
At the IFFI closing ceremony on November 28, 2025, Ranveer Singh sparked controversy by mimicking the Bhoota Kola ritual from Rishab Shetty's Kantara, calling the deity Chavundi a "female ghost."
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti filed a police complaint, and Advocate Prashanth Methal alleged "hurt religious sentiments of Tulu-speaking community."
Ranveer issued an apology on December 2:
"My intention was to highlight Rishab's incredible performance in the film... I have always deeply respected every culture, tradition and belief in our country. If I've hurt anyone's sentiments, I sincerely apologise."
Production Achievements: Technical Benchmarks
Principal photography spanned July 2024 to October 2025 (16-17 months) across Thailand, Punjab, Mumbai, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh.
Scale & Locations
- 220 live locations covered (typical productions use 80-90)
- Sets recreated Karachi's Lyari neighborhood with such accuracy that a Pakistani national reportedly praised the authentic old city detailing
- Cast and crew "worked 16 to 18 hours daily for 1.5 years without complaints" according to Dhar
Cinematography
Cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha reflected:
"I've waited my entire life for a film that allowed this texture... Aditya was threading a needle while riding a bull."
Music & Sound
Music composer Shashwat Sachdev (National Award winner for Uri's background score) created music while "living with the film" in Dhar's home:
"Ideas were being born on staircases, in the kitchen, while someone was half-asleep on the sofa."
The title track features Hanumankind (first theatrical Bollywood soundtrack) and Jasmine Sandlas.
Prosthetics & Makeup
Prosthetics designer Preetisheel Singh detailed Ranveer's transformation:
"I wanted to track that journey from getting into the 'spy look', where he doesn't have access to money... showing the initial rugged rawness, unkempt grungy hair, tied into a ponytail."
Akshaye Khanna reportedly became emotional seeing his prosthetic look as it reminded him of his late father Vinod Khanna.
Part 2 Confirmed: What's Next
Dhurandhar: Part 2 – Revenge releases March 19, 2026 (Gudi Padwa/Ugadi/Eid), confirmed via a 4-minute post-credits scene on opening day.
What We Know
Actor Rakesh Bedi confirmed shooting is complete with the film in post-production:
"In Dhurandhar Part 1, I will be seen a little less, but I will be seen more in the second part."
R. Madhavan teased:
"Well, obviously I can't speak about it, but I am just saying, the first one was a trailer; wait till you see Ranveer. He will shock everyone in Part 2."
Story Continuation
The sequel continues from Part 1's cliffhanger following Rehman Dakait's death, with Ranveer's character assuming power in Pakistan's political underworld and pursuing revenge against Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal), the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks.
Production Details
- Originally planned as a single film
- Dhar shot over 7 hours of footage necessitating the two-part structure
- Combined budget for both parts reportedly approaches ₹450 crore
- Netflix acquired streaming rights for ₹130 crore (both parts)
Awards Buzz: Early Predictions
With the December 5 release, formal awards nominations (Filmfare, National Awards) are pending. However, significant buzz exists for:
Top Categories
Background Score: Shashwat Sachdev's work, building on his National Award for Uri
Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha's acclaimed visual approach
Villain Performance: Akshaye Khanna drawing comparisons to Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa and Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh
Prosthetics/Makeup: Specifically praised by Hrithik Roshan
The film's box office records—largest second weekend ever, fastest 2025 film to ₹350 crore—ensure its prominent position in year-end discussions.
The Verdict: What Should You Know
Dhurandhar is 2025's most divisive Hindi film—a technical achievement that polarizes based on how you view its politics and violence.
See It If You:
- Appreciate large-scale espionage thrillers
- Can handle 214 minutes of intense, violent storytelling
- Value technical craft (cinematography, prosthetics, action choreography)
- Want to see Akshaye Khanna's career-best villain performance
- Enjoyed Uri: The Surgical Strike
Skip It If You:
- Dislike overt nationalist messaging
- Have low tolerance for graphic violence
- Prefer shorter, tighter narratives
- Find propaganda elements off-putting
- Seek balanced geopolitical perspectives
The Numbers Don't Lie
With ₹556.65 crore worldwide in 10 days, 8.6 IMDb rating, and historic second weekend records, audiences have spoken clearly—regardless of what critics say.
The film represents a watershed moment for Hindi cinema's spy thriller genre: commercially dominant yet critically contested, technically accomplished yet ideologically polarizing. The unprecedented gap between professional criticism and audience enthusiasm, coupled with the harassment controversy, reflects broader cultural tensions around nationalist filmmaking in contemporary India.
Key Takeaways
- Box Office: ₹556.65 crore worldwide in 10 days, highest second weekend ever in Hindi cinema (₹146.60 crore)
- Critical Reception: 50% Rotten Tomatoes, 2.5-3.5 stars average from critics
- Audience Rating: 8.6/10 IMDb, 9.1/10 BookMyShow
- Performance Highlight: Akshaye Khanna's Rehman Dakait unanimously praised as career-best
- Controversy: Critics faced harassment for negative reviews, Film Critics Guild issued formal statement
- Part 2: Confirmed for March 19, 2026 release
- Real Inspiration: Based on IC-814 hijacking, Lyari gang wars, and India's covert operations in Pakistan
- Ban: Banned in all GCC countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman)
Where to Watch Reviews
Positive Reviews:
- Times of India - Renuka Vyavahare (3.5/5)
- India Today - Vineeta Kumar (3/5)
- Bollywood Hungama (3/5)
- Koimoi - Enthusiastic Review
Critical Reviews:
Mixed/Balanced:
Have you watched Dhurandhar? What did you think? The conversation around this film goes far beyond entertainment—it touches on artistic freedom, critical independence, and the role of cinema in shaping national narratives.
Share your thoughts on what you found most interesting about this film's reception.