- By TDJ Entertainment Desk
- Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dhurandhar Movie Review: Aditya Dhar, as both writer and director, has delivered a cinematic triumph with the latest Bollywood movie Dhurandhar, a bold, breathtaking, and utterly stylish spy thriller. The film is a theatrical thunderbolt, seamlessly weaving authentic Indian emotional resonance with a polished, global appeal. It’s a powerful, grounded piece of cinema that stays with you long after the credits roll. The director fearlessly draws inspiration from some of India’s darkest historical moments—including the IC-814 hijack, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the Mumbai terror attacks—and uses this potent foundation to construct a story with relentless momentum. There is zero pause, only escalating tension.
Dhurandhar Plot
At the narrative's core is Ajay Sanyal (Madhavan), the Head of the Intelligence Bureau, whose intent to strike back at terror groups leads him to craft a clandestine infiltration strategy. Madhavan’s sharp dialogue and intense, focused performance immediately establish the high-stakes atmosphere. He places his audacious bet on Hamza, a man with a disturbed past and nothing left to lose, portrayed with raw, unforgettable brilliance by Ranveer Singh.
Dhurandhar Performances
This is unequivocally Ranveer Singh’s finest performance to date. As Hamza, the calculated "killing machine," he is explosive yet controlled, embodying the soul of this thrilling saga. He doesn't just play a role; he becomes the character, ruling the screen with his searing intensity, potent silence, and commanding action avatar.
The supporting cast is equally committed to this fully engrossing world. Akshaye Khanna’s Rehman Dakait is a mesmerizingly frightful and ingenious antagonist, while Sanjay Dutt injects raw, unbridled power as SP Aslam "The Jinn." Arjun Rampal is effectively chilling as the quiet Major Iqbal, and debutante Sara Arjun impresses with a confident entry. Their full commitment makes the entire ensemble feel vibrant and dangerously alive.
Dhurandhar Review
Dhurandhar achieves its peak emotional potency through the unflinching inclusion of authentic archival footage, Parliamentary visuals, and, most spine-tinglingly, the real 26/11 audio intercepts. Listening to the actual recordings of the terrorists is an unsettling, infuriating, and disturbingly real experience that powerfully invokes patriotism without ever resorting to overtly nationalistic rhetoric.
Remarkably, the film maintains an energetic, iron-clad pace over its 196-minute length. Dhar’s narrative control is absolute; every moment, every beat, has purpose and momentum. The soundtrack, already being heralded as the album of the year, further amplifies the major reveals, turning confrontations into cinematic thunderbolts that prevent any narrative slackening.
The violence, where present, is purposeful and integrated into the story's emotional texture. The first half meticulously builds a complicated political world, culminating in an interval point that is pure, nerve-wracking goosebumps. As the power struggles escalate in the second half, Hamza’s rise through cunning and treachery leads to a flawless setup for the detonating Part Two, arriving Eid 2026.
Dhurandhar Movie Verdict: 3.5/5
Produced on a grand, realistic scale by Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar, and Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar showcases Indian cinema at its most polished, meeting international standards without losing its cultural heartbeat. It is a brilliant, mind-boggling triumph—a cinematic skyscraper and one of the boldest, most exhilarating events of the year. With Dhar’s masterful direction and Ranveer Singh’s career-best performance, the closing scene leaves only one certainty: the war has just begun, and the buzz is sky-high.