For ‘Dhurandhar’, need sabr, sharp nazar

Is ‘Dhurandhar’ based on facts? Does it cover the incredible feats of the late martyr Major Mohit Sharma? Many ticklish questions have trailed the film ever since its trailer dropped.

On the face of it, the story of Indian spy Hamza (Ranveer Singh) doesn’t appear to be a replica of Sharma’s life. The setting here is Lyari, a town in Karachi where gang wars ruled. Yes, the film starts with a factual event: the hijacking of an Indian plane. Indeed, Madhavan’s character of IB chief Ajay Sanyal looks suspiciously close to that of NSA Ajit Doval. There are a few more terror-related incidents which lend an authentic tone and tenor to this thriller.

But, at its heart, Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ is an astute entertainer where action rules and violence comes easy, though it makes you queasy too. At no point does Dhar lose control of his material, which is at once factual and fictional, a story of Hamza as well as of Pakistan’s underworld and its embedded terror links.

Ranveer Singh as India’s key asset Hamza simmers and soars. Of course, with long hair and a beefed-up physique, he hardly appears ubiquitous. But, at the same time, the film doesn’t pander to his superstar status; rather, it allows his rage to let off in key sequences and provides him enough emotional heft. In one particular sequence where he watches Pakistanis rejoicing over the 26/11 attacks, he elevates the truth of “sleeping with the enemy” to another level.

Much drama is devoted to his infiltration into Rahman Dakait’s gang. An excellent Akshaye Khanna etches Rahman with that penetrative gaze, pensive guile and a dash of emotion too. Rakesh Bedi also gets the Machiavellian shades of politician Jameel Yamali incredibly right. If Hamza’s love interest, Sara Arjun, looks every bit that Pakistani girl, every single frame shot in Thailand and Mumbai feels like a lived-in place of our neighbouring nation.

Full marks to production designer Saini S Johray for making Lyari throb like a real location. Come to think of it, this is one of those rare Indian films in which you see so many Pakistani flags. One of the dialogues even tells us how Hindustanis are Hindustan’s number one enemy and Pakistan comes second. That is not to say Dhar has covered Pakistan in glory. Pakistan is a sworn enemy, it sponsors terror. Period.

Early in the film, we get a peek into one of the Pakistani predators’ sexual preference, which is likely to make you flinch. A-rated, ‘Dhurandhar’ will certainly make you wince more than once. The bloody rivalry between the father and his illegitimate son Rahman also ends on an ultra-violent note.

Just when you think you have had enough of bad men in and as Pakistanis, yet another khalnayak arrives. Sanjay Dutt is Chaudhary Aslam, the suspended SP who has a score to settle with Rahman. Only Dutt can utter those massy dialogues with characteristic cheesy flourish and win brownie points from viewers. And, of course, can there be a film on Pakistan without the customary ISI agent? Here it’s understated yet vile enough: Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal, mouthing Zia-ul-Haq’s infamous “bleed India with a thousand cuts” philosophy.

Finally, can the ‘Uri’ director resist throwing in the one-liner, “Ye Naya Hindustan Hai, Ghar Mein Ghusega Bhi Aur Maarega Bhi?” But ‘Dhurandhar’ is no ‘Uri’; rather, it’s a beast of its own making where violence is a way of life for those who live and rule by it. The length of 3.5 hours, which proves it is Dhar’s passion project, could be a detriment. Yet the fact that he doesn’t let the pace lag in the inordinate long runtime is not the only triumph of ‘Dhurandhar’.

The beauty is how Dhar manages to keep you on tenterhooks in a narrative that is charged at many levels: political, action and emotional.

Shunning the classic cat and mouse game, Dhar, also the writer, doesn’t throw in predictable/unpredictable twists and turns. He holds you captive in this star-studded saga which unfolds like the pages of a book, chapter by chapter.

Slickly executed with great attention to detail, it’s that film where technical excellence, editing, cinematography complement storytelling elements. Sure, the item numbers could have been avoided but both the background score and songs (remixed as well as original) by composer Shashwat Sachdev add verve. And you may initially think the romantic interlude between Ranveer and Sara is an unnecessary diversion, but it soon unfolds as crucial to the plot.

Climaxing on a high octave of action as well as a crucial juncture, the first instalment — yes, it has a second part which releases in March 2026 — ‘Dhurandhar’ is worth your time. Only, like our operatives, you must have the requisite sabr and a sharp nazar for it.