Dhurandhar

If you walked into a theater in 2025 expecting a breezy two-hour action romp, Aditya Dhar had other plans for your afternoon. Clocking in at a massive 212 minutes, Dhurandhar doesn’t just ask for your attention; it demands your entire Saturday. I watched this in a theater where the air conditioning was set to ‘Arctic Tundra,’ but by the time the interval hit, the tension on screen had me sweating through my hoodie anyway. It’s a sprawling, sweat-soaked, and deeply cynical dive into the Karachi underworld that feels less like a traditional "Bollywood" actioner and more like a high-stakes chess match played with live grenades.

The Ranveer Chameleon and the Ghost of Karachi

At the center of this hurricane is Ranveer Singh playing Jaskirat Singh Rangi—or rather, playing Jaskirat playing Hamza Ali Mazari. We’ve seen Ranveer Singh (Gully Boy, Bajirao Mastani) do high-energy before, but here, he’s vibrating on a different frequency. He slips into the persona of Hamza with a lethal, quiet precision that I haven’t seen from him since Padmaavat. There is a scene early on where he has to prove his mettle to a group of mid-level enforcers, and the way he uses a simple tea glass as a weapon is—frankly—terrifying. His performance is so convincing I actually forgot he once did those goofy Nutella commercials.

The plot doesn't waste time on sentimentality. Jaskirat is a ghost, a man who has erased his soul to infiltrate the ISI-underworld nexus. It’s a classic "man on the inside" trope, but Aditya Dhar treats the Karachi setting with a gritty, hyper-realistic lens that feels uncomfortably close to the bone. The way the film explores the "nexus" isn't through flashy boardrooms, but through damp basements and crowded spice markets. It’s an era-appropriate take on the genre: cynical, technologically savvy, and hyper-aware of the geopolitical tightrope it’s walking.

A Masterclass in Menace

While Ranveer is the engine, the supporting cast is the fuel. Akshaye Khanna (Dil Chahta Hai, Ittefaq) as Rehman Dakait is a revelation. In an age of over-the-top, screaming villains, Khanna plays Rehman with the chilling calm of a man who has already decided how you’re going to die. Watching Akshaye Khanna out-creep a literal underworld kingpin is the cinematic equivalent of a cold shower. He doesn't need to raise his voice; he just stares, and you feel the collective breath of the audience hitch.

Then you have the "Old Guard" showing the kids how it’s done. Sanjay Dutt brings a weary, gravitational weight to SP Chaudhary Aslam, while R. Madhavan (Vikram Vedha) provides the intellectual backbone as Ajay Sanyal. It’s a testosterone-heavy cast, but Sara Arjun manages to hold her own as Yalina, providing the only sliver of humanity in a world that has largely moved past it. Arjun Rampal, playing Major Iqbal, reminds us that he is at his absolute best when he’s playing characters with a moral compass that’s spinning wildly out of control.

The Craft of the Chaos

Technically, Dhurandhar is a monster. Aditya Dhar clearly brought the same meticulous tactical planning he showed in Uri: The Surgical Strike, but on a much grander scale. The cinematography by Vikash Nowlakha captures Karachi (recreated with startling detail) in hues of sickly yellow and deep, bruised blues. The action choreography isn't just "bang-bang-dead"; it’s messy, physical, and carries real weight. When someone gets hit in this movie, you feel the thud in your own ribs.

The score by Shashwat Sachdev deserves its own shout-out. It avoids the generic "hero theme" in favor of a pulsing, industrial drone that ramps up the anxiety levels. Apparently, Dhar insisted on using practical effects for the majority of the street-level explosions, and it shows. There’s a specific car chase in the second act—involving a cramped alleyway and a delivery van—that puts most $200 million Hollywood blockbusters to shame because it feels real.

The 5-Minute Trivia Break

The Big Payday: Despite its gritty R-rated feel, Dhurandhar was a massive commercial juggernaut. On a budget of $22.5 million, it raked in $160 million globally, proving that audiences in 2025 are still hungry for long-form, adult-oriented thrillers. Method to the Madness: Ranveer Singh reportedly spent three weeks in isolation in a darkened apartment to "de-socialize" himself before filming the Hamza segments. The Long Game: The 212-minute runtime was a major point of contention with the studio, but Aditya Dhar won the battle after a secret test screening where the audience refused to leave their seats for the bathroom. Tactical Precision: The production hired former intelligence officers as consultants to ensure the tradecraft used by Jaskirat—from dead drops to signal jamming—was as accurate as possible. * Casting Coup: This film marks the first time Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna have shared meaningful screen time in over a decade, and their chemistry is pure lightning.

Dhurandhar is a rare beast in the contemporary landscape: a massive, expensive blockbuster that actually has something to say about the cost of vengeance. It’s definitely too long—there’s a subplot involving a side-deal in Dubai that could have been an email—but the sheer craft on display makes it impossible to look away. If you can handle the runtime and the bleakness, it’s a high-water mark for the modern Indian thriller. Go for the action, but stay for Akshaye Khanna’s terrifyingly quiet eyes.