Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap shared a largely positive review of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, praising its filmmaking and performances. He also pointed out two moments in the film that he didn't like. Recently, the director took to Letterboxd to pen his thoughts on the Ranveer Singh–starrer, calling it a “brilliant film” despite his reservations.
In his review, Anurag addressed the ideological space the film operates in, stating that a spy or a soldier cannot exist without conflict or angst against an enemy state. “On those two counts I have no issues,” he wrote, adding that his concerns were limited to just two sequences.
According to him, the first was a dialogue delivered by a character named Madhavan, and the second came towards the end when Ranveer's character says, “Ye naya India hai.”
“Take those two aside, it’s a good film. In fact, a brilliant film that is entirely set in Pakistan,” he noted.
Anurag also defended Aditya Dhar’s political lens in the film, saying it stems from the director’s personal history rather than opportunism. Revealing that he has known Dhar since his National Award-winning film Boond, Anurag wrote that the politics reflected in Dhurandhar are “genuine.” He added, “It’s his politics. Agree or disagree with it. The man is honest. He is a Kashmiri Pandit who has suffered. Either you argue with him or let him be.”
Further, Anurag compared Dhurandhar to several Oscar-winning American war films, including The Hurt Locker (2008) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012), which he described as “propaganda films about the USA.” Praising the technical craft, he said the filmmaking in Dhurandhar is “top notch” and that he chose to overlook the two “propaganda” dialogues to fully appreciate the film.
Concluding his review, Anurag singled out Ranveer's performance as his favourite, calling it secure and impactful. “If I, as a filmmaker, have to argue about the politics of it, I will call Dhar. But it’s a significant film,” he wrote.
Dhurandhar has already emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. More than a month after its theatrical release, the film amassed an impressive Rs 1,186 crore at the worldwide box office, cementing its record-breaking run.
The film features an ensemble cast including Ranveer, Akshaye Khanna, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Saumya Tandon, Gaurav Gera, R Madhavan, among others.
Meanwhile, anticipation is already soaring for Dhurandhar Part 2, which is slated to hit theatres during Eid in March 2026.
