Dhurandhar: A Heart-Pounding Film by Aditya Dhar

Dhurandhar(2025)
Written & Directed by Aditya Dhar

I don't know how it could've ever been one movie. It's divided into chapters. Aditya Dhar makes your heart pound and makes you really root for the characters by showing terrorism in its truest form: gruesome, messy, and heart-wrenching. The film provokes you with the first chapter. The entire saga slowly unfolds with each chapter and each character. The cinematography by Vikash Nowlakha is perfect for capturing Lyari of Karachi, which is recreated exceptionally by Saini S. Johray. Not a single set piece looks fake; the roughness, the people, and the lore of the town are very real. Another creative choice by Dhar that lands perfectly is using real-life footage of the terror attacks; it makes you dread those events more, which is the intention behind it. Unpopular opinion but I think the movie is of perfect length, it didn't bore me or troubled me in any way, kudos to Shivkumar V. Panicker.

Shashwat Sachdev's exceptionally unique music lifts every single scene of the movie, the new spin to the old songs is just insane. The action is messy, gruesome, and raw, although it could've been edited better but still works very well. Sanjay Dutt, after a long time, has looked excellent; Madhwan breaking the fourth wall is chilling and kind of motivating in a way. Ranveer Singh's character is written perfectly; he doesn't do much, but he does just enough to create an impression, and Ranveer's subtlety truly enhances the writing, and when it's required, you see a trapped wild animal finally getting into a jungle and killing his prey with utmost brutality. Can't wait to see the origin story and Ranveer blasting in part two. Arjun Rampal is so evil in this movie, but he's not playing the stereotypical fake-accented, over-the-top terrorist we're used to seeing; there is subtlety in his performance, and it's ridiculously amazing. And now for the main man, THE AKSHAY KHANNA, the charisma he holds, the presence he has in the film with so little dialogue. The expression tells you the entire story, the eyes can scare you to the core. He's literally a king and a devil in this movie; there's a slight and very few and far in-between jokerness in his performance. Wonderful to watch. If these performances weren't as perfect as they are, the movie wouldn't have worked. That being said, Dhar truly deserves credit for his exceptional screenplay and for the world-building; he made it look and feel very believable. He takes you on a ride of facing terrorism, gang wars, a spy in the shadows, violence, blood, deaths, and amazing politics all in one film.

The second part is now set up; I'm going first day, first show to see Dhurandhar-The Revenge on March 19, 2026. You know why I'm so excited? Catch Dhurandhar on Netflix now!

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"What a world!!!"