Storyline: Angered by the Kandahar Hijack of 1999 and the Parliament Attack in 2001 by Pakistani terrorists, India’s IB chief Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan) proposes ‘Mission Dhurandhar’, which is a plan about an Indian spy infiltrating Pakistan’s underworld. After his proposal is accepted, India’s secret agent (Ranveer Singh), who identifies himself as Hamza Ali Mazari, discreetly enters Pakistan in 2004. As per his mission, he enters the Lyari area in Karachi, where underworld activities are rampant.
Hamza gets employed at a juice stall by its owner Aalam (Gaurav Gera). He gets to know from his boss that Lyari is infested with the underworld war between Babu Dakait and Rehman Baloch aka Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). Hamza earns Rehman’s trust by saving his son’s life from an attack by the men of Babu Dakait. Hence, Hamza’s initial mission of infiltrating Pakistan’s underworld turns out to be a success as he becomes a member of his gang. But he has a long and difficult road ahead of him.
Review: Since more than a decade, mainstream Hindi cinema has seen a number of films about spies on secret missions for the sake of the country. The aforementioned story of Dhurandhar might also sound similar to some past Hindi movies. But the film stands apart when it comes to the treatment. Instead of including high-octane and larger-than-life action stunts, glamour and dialogue baazi, it relies on a narrative more on the realistic side. Of course, there are creative liberties being taken but they are believable.
What sets Dhurandhar apart is also the main content. One won’t find spy activities between both countries as the center point. The film is more about the politics and mafia of Pakistan with the issue of terrorism kept in the background for a majority of the duration, especially in the first half. Dhar should be commended for the research on this topic and choosing to explore it, which hasn’t happened before. This also makes it advisable to do some research on the underworld of Lyari and its connection to Pakistan’s politics before watching the film.
Dhurandhar goes onto high gear once things hot up in the second half, where the real espionage drama takes center stage. The portrayal of 26/11 terror incident from the point of view of Pakistan is applaud-worthy. This period also gives rise to some dramatic and thrilling moments with the film ending on a high note.
However, despite these plusses, when it comes to narrating the story, Dhurandhar appears to have been trapped in the wrong medium. This narrative suits more for a web series, going by the way characters are explored and the story is fleshed out. This becomes an issue as the first half becomes as lengthy as two hours. It is not possible to edit out any portion, including the love angle (which is closely knit to the main story), thereby making it more suitable for the longer medium. This is also because the story doesn’t end as the film is set to return for a second part on March 19, 2026.
And as expected, Dhurandhar indirectly appeases the supporters of the current government of India on a few occasions.
The film scores high when it comes to the production design by Saini S Johray. A lot of thought and detailing has gone into this area while recreating Lyari of the yesteryears. Vikash Nowlakha’s camerawork is spectacular. From the music, the title track and ‘Ishq Jalakar – Karvaan’ are brilliant. Shashwat Sachdev’s background score doesn’t go overboard in providing thrill. It becomes loud only when needed. The action is also more into the realistic zone, instead of over-the-top stunts.
The performances too are top draw. Ranveer Singh is fully believable as a spy who becomes a trusted ally of Rehman Dakait. He scores in the emotional moments as well as while performing action. But the one who steals the show is Akshaye Khanna. He brings his entire talent onto display as he performs various moods of his character with perfection. Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt succeed in being wild with restraint.
R Madhavan provides a mature act in a character that makes him look unrecognizable. In such an ensemble cast, Rakesh Bedi gets more than noticed as the prominent politician of Lyari. Sara Arjun makes a confident and successful debut as Hamza’s lover Yalina.
Overall: Dhurandhar is a well-crafted spy drama with fine performances. However, its narrative suits more for a web series. Hence, the film is more inclined towards the multiplex audience instead of the masses. This makes it doubtful whether it will become a major success at the box office.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Director: Aditya Dhar
Writer: Aditya Dhar
Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi
Also read: Haq review: Yami Gautam excels in this one-time watch courtroom drama
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