Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandhar continues to spark discussion well beyond box office numbers, with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap offering a sharply worded but largely appreciative take on the film. Known for his outspoken opinions, Kashyap reviewed the film on Letterboxd, where he praised its filmmaking and performances while openly critiquing what he termed “propaganda dialogues.”
While Dhurandhar has been embraced by audiences for its scale, action, and political undertones, Kashyap’s reaction stands out for its balance. He acknowledges the film’s ideological positioning but separates that from its cinematic craft, arguing that the core of the story functions effectively as a spy narrative.
Anurag Kashyap On The Core Politics Of Dhurandhar
Explaining why the film largely works for him, Kashyap focused on the emotional psychology of spies and soldiers, writing, “A spy cannot be a spy if he doesn’t have hate and angst against the enemy state. A soldier also cannot be a soldier if he doesn’t have angst against the enemy state. On those two counts I have no issues.”
According to him, this foundational emotion is essential to the genre and does not, by itself, weaken the film. However, he did point out two specific moments that broke his immersion. The first was a dialogue delivered by R Madhavan’s character Ajay Sanyal, “Ek din aisa ayega jab jo desh ke bare me koi sochaga,” followed by the film’s closing line spoken by Ranveer Singh, “Ye naya India hai.”
Kashyap described both lines as “propaganda dialogues,” but added that setting them aside still leaves the film largely intact as a cinematic experience.
On Hollywood Comparisons And Praise For The Filmmaking of Dhurandhar
Despite these reservations, Kashyap was unequivocal in his praise for the film’s execution. Drawing parallels with acclaimed American war dramas, he wrote, “If you love The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty or House of Dynamite, they are Oscar-winning propaganda films about the USA. I ignored the two propaganda dialogues and loved the filmmaking and stubbornness of the filmmaker.”
This comparison places Dhurandhar within a global tradition of politically charged cinema, where national ideology and cinematic ambition often intersect.
Ranveer Singh’s Performance And Aditya Dhar’s Vision
Kashyap reserved special praise for Ranveer Singh, calling his performance his favourite and so secure. He also spoke candidly about director Aditya Dhar, underlining a long-standing professional respect. “I have known Aditya Dhar since his national award film Boond. It’s his politics. Genuine politics. Agree or disagree with it. Man is honest. Not an opportunist like others. All his films are about Kashmir.” Being a Kashmiri Pandit himself, Kashyap opined, the maker understood the atrocities. “He is a Kashmiri pandit who has suffered. Either you argue with him or let him be. Filmmaking is top-notch.”
As Dhurandhar continues to dominate conversations around contemporary Hindi cinema and nationalism, Kashyap’s review adds a layered perspective, acknowledging both the film’s ideological stance and its technical strengths without conflating the two.
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