Film scholar Ira Bhaskar, mother of actress Swara Bhaskar has raised concerns about the political message in Dhurandhar, one of the biggest hit films recently.
The movie stars Ranveer Singh and is directed by Aditya Dhar, with Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun also in the cast. Bhaskar says the film mostly shows Muslims and Pakistan in a violent negative way.
What she said
Bhaskar spoke on Karwan-e-Mohabbat, a discussion hosted by activist Harsh Mander, along with Harish Wankhede, a political science professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She mentioned other films that faced censorship like Punjab 95 and Phule, and used Dhurandhar as an example of how movies can reflect certain political ideas.
She praised Aditya Dhar's skills and said the movie is well made, but asked if good filmmaking can be separated from the ideas the movie shows. Bhaskar said the story mainly shows Muslim characters as violent and Pakistan as a violent country with very few normal everyday characters.
She also noted that films based on real events often pick certain incidents to tell a particular story, which can shape how viewers see social and political issues. The talk also discussed how Muslims and Dalits are represented in Indian movies, and whether films promoting equality and humanism get enough attention.
Massive box office success
Released in 2025, Dhurandhar emerged as India's biggest box office hit of the year, earning about $105.25 million (Rs 950 crore) globally. The film also became the highest grossing Hindi language film ever, surpassing Stree 2, which had previously held the record with $77.33 million in global collections.
About Dhurandhar 2
The film continues the story from the first part, which became the highest grossing Hindi film ever. Ranveer Singh returns as undercover agent Hamza Ali Mazari (also called Jasikirat Singh Rangi), joined by Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. Akshaye Khanna reprises his role as the "Apex Predator," mostly appearing in key flashback scenes, while reports suggest Emraan Hashmi may play the mysterious "Bade Sahab" and Yami Gautam has also joined the cast.
The action thriller is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on March 19, 2026