I was skeptical.
I mean, everyone knows URI: The Surgical Strike was a propaganda movie.
Same director, same genre. Is it another propaganda on a massive scale?

I wasn’t tempted to watch it in the theatres, especially with the 3+ hour runtime, and I wasn’t sure about the material.
Then, it exploded in the theatres!

Reviews started pouring in, lauding the performances, the storytelling, and the sheer scale. Then I started hearing very specific statements, such as:
“There is no better spy/espionage movie in this country.”
“Dhurandhar single-handedly killed the YRF universe.”

Among other things. Then the movie went on to become the 4th highest-grossing Indian movie in the world, surpassing RRR and KGF Chapter 2.

I thought, Wow! This might be some movie! I mean, what people are saying must be true, and this might actually be the greatest spy/espionage movie ever made in India!

Still, when I heard it would be available on Netflix on January 30th, I altogether dropped my theatre-going plans, and on 31st January, coming back from office, I started watching it.

First things first, let me point out the things that worked really well and that set this film apart from many glamorized wastes of time. Then I’ll point out some of my observations. It’s for you to judge whether I’m right or wrong.
The comment section is there for it.

First of all, something that caught my eye and ear is the brilliant music by Shashwat Sachdev. “Ishq Jalakar”, “Run Down the City”, and the “Dhurandhar Title Track” are real bangers, and so is the background score. The music might be the most standout feature of this movie.

Then came the performances. I have often criticized Ranveer Singh for his very similar performances (I felt his Khalji and Bajirao were just a costume away from being the same character), but Hamza Ali Mazari is a stellar performance, and a convincing one at that.

I’d even say Akshaye Khanna felt monotonous at times, as Rahman Dakait has a very limited range of expressions. But not Hamza. His shock, surprise, anger, despair—everything was right there, laid bare in front of the camera.

Arjun Rampal had limited screen time, but the gravitas with which he played Major Iqbal, and the famed torture scene from the trailer, expressed the sadism and menace that he embodies.

Sanjay Dutt… I mean, he is taking up more and more villain roles nowadays. Let me see:
KGF Chapter 2 (2022), Shamshera (2022), Leo (2024), Double iSmart (2024), KD – The Devil (2025), Baaghi 4 (2025), and Dhurandhar (2025).

That’s seven villain roles within a span of two years. Yes, I get that Mr. Dutt has aged. But not all villains are bitter old men. I hope he does something different in the coming years. I really admired his Kancha Cheena in Agneepath (2012), but with more and more negative roles, his performances are starting to feel lacklustre and repetitive.

Madhavan, as Ajay Sanyal, didn’t have enough screen time to show his acting prowess.

Overall, the movie is fast-paced, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and presents a compelling storyline. It cuts away the glamour of the YRF Spy Universe and shows realistic violence and gore (not that much gore). Add to that the real name-drops of Ajmal Kasab and David Headley, and it gets that oomph factor that is needed to keep the audience hooked.

Now, here comes my overall takeaway, or my disappointment, if I say it bluntly.

I mean, fast-paced action and gore were how Ian Fleming wrote spy/espionage. People already know what’s coming for them when they hear “Double O Seven”.

How is that realistic and new? How is that so special that the movie went on to become the 4th highest grosser of all time?

Is the Indian film industry so dead that we mistake a spark for a forest fire? How is this, and I quote a few people, “Never seen in Indian cinema”? What? The gore? What kind of achievement is that?

I mean, if we strip away the glamour, there are several movies that I can name which rival Dhurandhar in story, pace, and thrill. You want a spy thriller? Watch Madras Café or Phantom. Want espionage? Watch Agent Vinod, a very underrated movie full of stellar performances.

But if you really want the “real spy-espionage extravaganza” and can deal with a slow-paced movie, just watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or, for something “Dhurandhar-esque”, Zero Dark Thirty or Argo.

That is my takeaway. Dhurandhar is a very good, gripping film that can be enjoyed once, and except for the music, the affairs will be mostly forgettable to you—at least it was for me.

Now, I was a little excited about Part II, which will deal with Hamza’s past and the consequences of the first film, but the trailer was a big letdown for me. It seemed like another KGF in the making. It felt very generic and timid compared to the trailer of the first film.

I think Part II has lost its way with fame. And now it looks like there will be more follow-ups to this—Part III (even IV? Who knows!). Milking the proverbial cash cow over and over again.

We need better films.
We need thought-provoking films, and they can be of any genre!

Peace.
Neel