Prashant Narayanan Offers Candid Take on Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar
Veteran actor Prashant Narayanan, widely recognized for his villainous role in the Emraan Hashmi starrer Murder 2, has shared a nuanced and candid assessment of Ranveer Singh's latest film Dhurandhar. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Bubble, Narayanan praised the technical craftsmanship of the movie but raised questions about whether its narrative impact was fully realized.
Praising the Craft While Questioning the Impact
Calling Dhurandhar a "well-made film", Prashant Narayanan expressed that he had expected a stronger emotional and dramatic payoff from the storyline. "It's a well-made film. But the impact that it could have created has not been exploited enough. I feel that it could have," he stated clearly, highlighting a gap between potential and execution.
Drawing a direct parallel to his own cinematic debut, Narayanan added, "It's a basic concept of a film which I had done, my first film, Chhal. It's about this guy who's infiltrating a gang, but he's a cop, you know, and how he destroys the gang. That's the basic concept of Dhurandhar also." This comparison underscores the familiar undercover narrative trope that both films explore.
Analyzing Ranveer Singh's Performance and Character Portrayal
Speaking about Ranveer Singh's central performance, Prashant Narayanan offered a balanced perspective that blended appreciation with critical analysis. "I think Ranveer is an extremely brave actor. Ranveer is somebody who has done so many different things, like right from Band Baaja Baaraat, so many things that he's done including Gully Boy," he remarked, acknowledging Singh's diverse and impressive filmography.
However, Narayanan pointed to a specific aspect of the character's portrayal that he felt could have been handled with more subtlety. "For me, I felt that the inconspicuousness... if that had been maintained. He's too eye-catching. He's too attractive, right? You know what I mean? I relate too because he was so handsome in the film. He's looking so good and tough and those tight kurtas and, you know, the bulging things, contact lenses, long hair. It is too eye-catching." According to Prashant, when a character is designed to infiltrate covertly, blending into the environment becomes a crucial element that he believes was somewhat compromised.
Highlighting Standout Supporting Performances
Prashant Narayanan also emphasized that several supporting performances in Dhurandhar captured his attention more powerfully than some of the lead roles. "I loved what Gaurav did. I loved what Akshay's father did. Akshaye Khanna's father — I liked him so much," he said, referring to the character played by Akshaye Khanna.
He further elaborated, "There was this other actor who was there who was eating that apple and he throws it... See, these are like the people who have done a good job in that film. Not the people who have been assigned big roles. I thought it was all normal stuff, you know, it was nothing. But these are the people who caught my attention." This observation sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of character actors who enhance a film's depth.
Clarifying Intentions and Respect for Ranveer Singh
Addressing whether his previous remarks about Padmaavat had ever elicited any reaction from Ranveer Singh or his team, Prashant Narayanan clarified that there was no backlash. "No. I think they understood my intention of what I'm saying. I'm not trying to demean anybody. I don't have the right to do that. And I will never do that also," he asserted.
He added context to his critiques by focusing on influence and responsibility. "I just felt that, you know, because of the position that he is in, him saying things like that can influence people... You're an influential person. You're powerful. So don't say all these things when it's not required." Prashant concluded by reiterating his profound respect for Ranveer Singh, calling him "one of the bravest actors" in the Indian film industry, while maintaining that his comments were strictly focused on cinematic craft and narrative impact rather than personal criticism.
