Despite shattering box office records and surpassing the collections of Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, Aditya Dhar's directorial Dhurandhar finds itself embroiled in a fierce debate. The film, now the highest-grossing A-rated Indian film worldwide with earnings over Rs 930 crore, has been labelled by several critics and YouTubers, including Dhruv Rathee, as "well-made propaganda." Amidst this controversy, actor Arjun Rampal, who plays a pivotal role, has stepped forward to defend the project, calling it an "important film" while opening up about the emotional difficulty of his portrayal.
The Actor's Defence and Emotional Struggle
In a recent interview with Grazia, Arjun Rampal directly addressed the ongoing discourse surrounding the film's narrative. He countered the propaganda allegations by stating that one of his primary motivations for joining the project was his belief in its significance. "One of the important reasons to do it was because it is an important film to do," Rampal explained.
He elaborated on the film's appeal, noting that while the historical events are known, the behind-the-scenes machinations presented a compelling story. However, the actor did not shy away from confessing the psychological impact of playing his character, Major Iqbal, an ISI operative portrayed as the architect of the 26/11 attacks. "I felt horrible when you're doing it because you love your country so much, but I guess that's what an actor's job is and you just dive into it," Rampal revealed, adding that he was eager to exit the character's mindset once filming concluded.
Dhurandhar: Plot and Portrayal of Real Events
Dhurandhar is a cinematic portrayal centred on crimes in Pakistan's Lyari region. The narrative weaves together dramatised accounts of three major incidents: the Uri attack, the Mumbai terror attacks (26/11), and the Kandahar hijacking. The film follows Ranveer Singh as a covert agent on a mission to infiltrate Pakistani criminal networks to monitor threats against India.
The movie incorporates several real-life figures and uses actual footage from various attacks. Arjun Rampal's character, Major Iqbal, is said to be based on Pakistani operative Ilyas Kashmiri. This connection to reality was bolstered during the 26/11 trial, where key witness David Headley identified a handler named Major Iqbal (also referred to as Chaudhry Khan) as a mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.
A Divided Reception: Praise, Criticism, and Cryptic Responses
The film's reception has been sharply polarised. While it has achieved monumental commercial success and garnered praise from some quarters for its cinematic scale, the political undertones have sparked significant criticism. Actors like Hrithik Roshan have acknowledged the film's technical merit but also publicly disagreed with its politics, questioning the responsibilities of filmmakers.
This sentiment is shared by many viewers and analysts who find the film "engaging" yet "dangerous," accusing it of gaslighting audiences by blending factual events with fiction and presenting the amalgamation as incontrovertible truth. The debate reached a new peak when filmmaker Aditya Dhar shared a cryptic post seemingly aimed at critic Dhruv Rathee. The reshared story read, "A video maker tried to criticise it recently and got swept away by a wave of criticism against him."
While supporting actors like Ankit Sagar and Danish Pandor have defended the film, the lead cast, including Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, along with director Aditya Dhar, have not directly addressed the ongoing narratives in detail. As Dhurandhar continues its record-breaking run, the conversation around it extends far beyond box office numbers, cementing its place as one of the most talked-about and contentious releases in recent Bollywood history.
