- By Swati Singh
- Wed, 19 Nov 2025 04:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dhurandhar is all set to hit the theatres. The film stars Ranveer Singh in lead role and R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Akshaye Khanna take on pivotal roles. The trailer of Dhurandhar released on Tuesday and it received positive reviews from fans and critics alike. One thing that has caught everybody's attention is R Madhavan's character as National Security Advisor Ajay Sanyal. According to reports, Madhavan's role is inspired by Ajit Doval, an Indian bureaucrat and spymaster who has been serving as longest tenured National Security Advisor of India since 2014.
Who is Ajit Doval?
Ajit Doval is the longest-serving National Security Advisor in Indian history. He joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in the Kerala cadre in 1968, starting as the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Kottayam. Ater a brief period in Thalassery, he moved to the central service. During his career, he developed extensive experience in crisis management, notably being involved in the termination of all 15 Indian Airlines hijackings between 1971 and 1999.
At the Intelligence Bureau (IB) headquarters, he led the operations wing for over ten years and was the founder Chairman of both the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) and the Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI).
Major Undercover Missions
Doval is renowned for his undercover work. In 1988, during Operation Black Thunder, he successfully infiltrated the Golden Temple by posing as an ISI agent. He conducted espionage on Khalistani separatists, mapping their positions and weapon caches.
(Image: X)
(Image: X)
He received brief counterterrorism training from M. K. Narayanan, who later became India's third National Security Advisor. Doval was part of the critical team sent to Kandahar, Afghanistan, for the negotiations to secure the release of passengers from the hijacked Indian Airlines flight, IC-814.
Recommended For You
NSA Ajit Doval Missions
Early Intelligence and Undercover Missions
Undercover in Pakistan (1971–1978)
Mizo Insurgency (1970s)
Sikkim Merger (1975)
Operation Black Thunder (1988)
Kashmir Operations (1990s)
Crisis Management and Negotiator Role
Anti-Hijacking Operations
IC-814 Kandahar Hostage Crisis (1999)
Rescue of Indian Nurses from ISIS (2014)
National Security Advisor (NSA) Strategic Directives
Cross-Border Strikes
Doklam Standoff (2017)
Kashmir Special Status Revocation (2019)
Anti-Insurgency Handover (2020)
About Dhurandhar: Directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh in lead role, Dhurandhar is based on the true events of India's mission against terrorism in the neighbouring country, Pakistan. The espionage thriller hits cinemas on December 5.