Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar is making noise everywhere. Be it Ranveer Singh's intense performance as a spy or Akshaye Khanna's chilling villainous avatar, the movie has quickly become a talking point among movie buffs. The film, set largely in Pakistan, explores espionage, patriotism and the personal struggles of Indian spies. With high-octane action and tight storytelling, it is no surprise that audiences and critics alike are buzzing about it.
Now, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has added his voice to the conversation with a detailed review on Letterboxd. According to him, the essence of Dhurandhar works perfectly. He writes, “A spy cannot be a spy if he doesn't have hate and angst against the enemy state. A soldier also cannot be a soldier if he doesn't have angst against the enemy state. On those two counts I have no issues.”
The director does flag two moments that didn't sit right with him. One is when R Madhavan's character, Ajay Sanyal, says, “Ek din aisa ayega jab jo desh ke bare me koi sochaga,” and the other is the closing line when Ranveer Singh says, “Ye naya India hai.” Anurag Kashyap calls these “propaganda dialogues”, but adds that ignoring them still leaves the film brilliant in execution.
Anurag Kashyap also praises the filmmaking itself, comparing it to Hollywood classics: “If you love The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty or House of Dynamite, they are Oscar-winning propaganda films about the USA. I ignored the two propaganda dialogues and loved the filmmaking and stubbornness of the filmmaker.”
Praising Ranveer Singh, Anurag Kashyap says the performance stands out as his favourite. About director Aditya Dhar, the director says, “I have known Aditya Dhar since his national award film Boond. It's his politics. Genuine politics. Agree or disagree with it. Man is honest. Not an opportunist like others.”
Released on December 5, Dhurandhar has earned over Rs 1000 crore at the global box office. The film's sequel is set to hit cinema screens on March 19.
