Dhurandhar (2025) Review – Bold, Gritty & Highly Compelling
Since the release of its teaser and fiery trailer, Dhurandhar has been making everyone go crazy. It promised us a dark, gritty, gory yet rooted espionage thriller packed with a powerful starcast. But did it really deliver as the final big-budget Bollywood lineup of 2025? Let’s find out.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the man behind Uri: The Surgical Strike, this film is about a top-secret long-term mission planned by India’s R&AW to wipe out terrorism in Pakistan from its roots. They planted a secret agent inside the infamous Lyari gang of the country, who worked side by side with ISI to help them give shape to some of the biggest terror attacks in the world. But the journey for the agent and the agency wasn’t that easy and flat, and how they succeeded is for you to find out in a theatre near you.
Now, let me jump straight into the review, as there is plenty to talk about!
What Works?
Performance
When a film is packed with a lineup of underrated actors from Bollywood, it is bound to give you paisa vasool entertainment. Ranveer Singh shines as the protagonist, along with Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal and R Madhavan as Ajay Sanyal. But but but……now comes the MVPs! Give it up for the real Khalnayak Sanjay Dutt, who finally delivers a spine-chilling performance after so many years. His entry, his dialogues, and his swag were designed perfectly so that every time he comes on the screen, you will have a smile on your face.
But who stole the show? It’s none other than Akshaye Khanna. The comeback king of 2025! He looked amazing, did an amazing physical acting with superb expressions! His entry scene had more “seetis” than Ranveer’s! I absolutely loved him. Give him all the awards already; he deserves it.
Slow Burn Build Up
According to rumours, Aditya Dhar wanted Dhurandhar to be a web series, and you can feel that while watching it. It is divided into several chapters with a very slow-paced build-up in the first hour. But trust me, it’s not going to bore you for a minute. This is what every cinephile wants: a slow buildup, setting up of the characters, and the world without jumping straight into high-octane action scenes.
BGM
The music composers have done a fantastic job with the music. There are roughly one or two songs picturised in the film, and everything else is via BGM. And my god, every BGM is catchy. Many popular old songs have been used from both India and Pakistan, thanks to SaReGaMa, and they have been utilised in the best way possible. Release the BGM album now!
Technique and Treatment
While watching the film, you may feel that it has a treatment like Zero Dark Thirty. The camera angles, especially during the action and combat scenes, are well executed. The hook and catchy dialogues are highlighted with subtitles in a stylised way. The editing feels super smooth with multiple time jumps. Every character is given a proper name card during their first appearance, and this helps in keeping the audience engaged.
The director has also used real-life footage of terror attacks along with audio clips, which has made it look raw and rooted. Thank you, Aditya Dhar.
Gory Violence
I was not expecting this level of gory violence from a Bollywood mainstream movie! It felt like watching a film by Quentin Tarantino! Yes, many can find the scenes unsettling and disturbing, but they are designed to make you so. Watch it if you can handle them.
No Chest Thumping Deshbhakti
Thanks to the makers for not making Dhurandhar a propaganda-filled chest-thumping deshbhakti film. It doesn’t have the highly coloured stylisation of YRF’s spy universe or melodramatic deshbhakti dialogues and scenes. Yet it explores the emotions of a man forced to live far from his own country and family for years! It deals with the hardships of being an undercover agent who can see his own country being crippled by terrorists without being able to do anything. Pathaan and Tiger, are you listening?
No Overdose of High-Octane Action
The director has taken the freedom to design the screenplay, but has not infused it with an overdose of masala action scenes or unnecessary romance. Yes, there are action scenes, but nothing like someone jumping from a plane without a parachute or finishing hundreds of men single-handedly.
The action scenes are subtle, rooted, well-designed, and amazing. Give it a watch.
Dark Comedy
Even in a script so dark, there are several dark comedy scenes left subtly. Especially in some scenes by Ranveer Singh. I bet you there will be moments when someone is getting beaten badly, but you will be laughing out loud! Please don’t misunderstand me. Come back to this point after watching the film.
What Doesn’t Work?
Run Time
See, I personally didn’t feel bored for even a second, but today’s crowd is highly impatient and can’t even concentrate on a reel for a minute. But when you are asking them to watch a film for 3.5 hours, they may not like it. If a few scenes and moments could have been trimmed, I think the film would have a sharper edge.
The original runtime was around 7 hours, so the makers decided to break it into two parts. But why not release it as a web series? It’s so binge-worthy.
Needed more of Rampal and Madhavan
I get it that we would see more of Rampal in the second part, but why not more Madhavan? He is such an actor who can shine in any script with his acting prowess. I wanted more of him. But it’s okay, I am getting greedy.
Backstory of Hamza
Ranveer’s character in Dhurandhar needed some more depth about his past and also his emotions. We cannot connect emotionally with the character, and that’s a problem. But I think the directors have promised more about his character in the next part, with the glimpses during the credits.
Final Words
Dhurandhar is a film of comebacks! It’s the comeback of Ranveer Singh, who failed badly during his last outings. It’s the comeback of Akshaye Khanna, the most underutilised Akki of the country, and also the comeback of Bollywood. It is a film that is raw, gritty, unapologetic, unbiased, and asks for your full attention to give you a complete edge-of-the-seat experience. If you are tired of the colourful, disgusting Hindi films and want something to be completely entertained, then this film needs your attention.
Watch it without your kids, watch it alone, if possible, in a quiet environment, and last but not least, empty your kidneys before entering the hall! But definitely watch it as soon as possible.
Wait till the credits roll for a SURGICAL SURPRISE!
My personal top pick of the year.
Rating:
What do you think about this film? Do let us know in the comments below.
Avik
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