Shashi Tharoor has shared his review of Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar franchise. The Congress MP praised the project's filmmaking, performances and scale while questioning its graphic violence and political messaging.
After watching both films directed by Aditya Dhar, Shashi Tharoor said he enjoyed the second instalment, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, more than the first, but felt the story could have been told without some of its disturbing scenes.
In a video posted on his official YouTube channel, the politician spoke about what worked for him and what did not. While he appreciated the sequel as an entertaining film, he felt the violence often went too far.
“As a work of fiction, as a work of entertainment, there is no doubt that the second part is superb,” he stated.
Shashi Tharoor was particularly critical of the way violence has been shown across the two films. He felt several scenes were unnecessarily graphic and described the treatment as “totally excessive and over the top.”
“There was no need to show so much violence, blood, mayhem, cruelty and some of the most disgusting scenes ever seen in Indian cinema,” he added.
Shashi Tharoor On Dhurandhar's Political Messaging
Apart from the violence, Shashi Tharoor also raised questions about the films' portrayal of India-Pakistan relations. The franchise has drawn criticism over its political themes, and the Congress MP acknowledged concerns that its content could affect how audiences view people across the border.
He referred to reports that the films had been banned in Pakistan and several Gulf countries over concerns about their possible impact on relations between Indians and Pakistanis.
“There is a lot of propaganda stuff built into it obviously and I gather the film has been banned in many countries, not just in Pakistan, but many of the Gulf countries have banned it, saying it would needlessly create bad blood between Indians and Pakistanis, so I can understand those feelings,” the politician added.
Shashi Tharoor also wondered how Pakistani viewers might respond to the film if they watched it. He felt some dialogues could make them laugh, while other parts might prompt them to think about actions carried out in their country's name.
“I don't know how Pakistanis will react if they see this. Some of the lines, I think Pakistanis will laugh. Some of the other things, I think Pakistanis will realise how much wrong has been done in their name,” he went on to say.
Shashi Tharoor Questions The Film's Spy World
Dhurandhar follows undercover intelligence operative Jaskirat Singh Rangi, who operates under the identity of Hamza Ali Mazari. However, the politician said the world shown in the movies was quite different from his own experience of interacting with intelligence officials.
He described his interactions as involving discussions, analysis and information exchanges rather than secret operations and dramatic missions.
“I have dealt with a lot of our intelligence people but in a very civilised way, having analysis, conversations, information exchanges but not really getting into any cloak and dagger stuff. I am certainly not aware of commands being given that lead to explosions in faraway capitals. That's not the world I have ever lived in,” he explained.
Shashi Tharoor also questioned the timeline of R Madhavan's character, Ajay Sanyal, who is loosely inspired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He said it would be difficult to accept the idea of one bureaucrat holding the same position from the late 1990s to the present day.
“I think it would be too much of a stretch to assume that's true. So I would see this as a fictional film that tells a story which obviously is meant to impart a certain sense of lessons as well,” the politician said.
Despite his reservations, Shashi Tharoor praised the franchise's visual treatment, production design, sets, direction and acting. He described the films as “vividly made” and appreciated the effort behind their large-scale presentation.
“At the end of 8 hours, you feel you have been through a major cinematic experience,” he concluded.
The Dhurandhar franchise featured Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and R Madhavan. The two films were released in December 2025 and March 2026, respectively.
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