DHURANDHAR MOVIE REVIEW

If a film is roughly 200 minutes long and you don’t want it to end because it is so much fun, that speaks a lot about its sensational appeal. Dhurandhar is one such film. It isn’t an easy watch for sure. It glorifies violence in an unprecedented way; there’s a generous use of gaalis throughout the film (the stuff of nightmares for the Indian censor board); the scene related to the 26/11 attack might evoke strong feelings for some. Yet, what separates Dhurandhar from films like Animal is that all of the above excesses are in service of dialing up the entertainment quotient of the film. To that extent, director Aditya Dhar has done a remarkable job. Can he be called the real ‘Dharandhar’?

Despite the competent writing and direction, Dhar’s biggest achievement lies in the marshaling of an extremely talented cast who hold back no punches in bringing this high-octane drama to life. Ranveer Singh shines through a deliberately understated performance. Akshaye Khanna seems to have had a lot of fun with the role of a lifetime. Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi and a bunch of lesser known faces all rise to the occasion and make a meal of their parts. 

The film has its share of flaws, of course. I found the first half too long. An Indian spy trying to infiltrate a Pakistani group is not novel, and this lack of originality made the 2-hour long first half feel unreasonably stretched. 

I’m still going with 4/5 for Dhurandhar. If you have the appetite for all the gore and more, give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed. It’s that rare film where the hype is justified.