Dhurandhar (2025) Trade analyst
Taran Adarsh gave 4.5/5 stars and described the film as a "brilliant" and "power-packed" action spectacle, citing its strong storytelling and box-office appeal. Gayatri Nirmal of
Pinkvilla gave 4/5 stars and praised the second-half, screenplay, and background score but criticised the runtime. Siddhant Adlakha of
IGN rated the film 8/10 stars and wrote "Bollywood gangster saga
Dhurandhar walks a fine line between raucous entertainment and hateful propaganda." Renuka Vyavahare of
The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and calling the film a "power-packed Karachi mafia thriller" where lead actor Ranveer Singh delivers a "subdued yet scorching" performance that largely anchors the film's impact. She highlighted the film's immersive world-building, the gritty, violent underworld of Karachi's Lyari mafia through a narrative structured in multiple chapters, with a runtime of nearly three-and-a-half hours that nevertheless "rarely feels overbearing", owing to what is described as "stylish, tight storytelling." Devesh Sharma of
Filmfare gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Aditya Dhar's
Dhurandhar is a film that refuses to be contained by the grammar of a conventional spy thriller."
Bollywood Hungama gave 3/5 stars and called it a well-made, ambitious big-screen experience with top-notch craft, memorable moments and some truly outstanding performances. Rishabh Suri of
Hindustan Times gave 3/5 stars and described it as a "lengthy yet loaded spy drama", highlighting the performances of Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna as well Aditya Dhar's direction. He also noted the film occasionally feels too long and dense with too many sub-plots. Radhika Sharma of
NDTV gave 3/5 stars and praised the cast performances and soundtrack, but criticised the second half calling it "a completely different film altogether." Taher Ahmed of
Deccan Herald gave 3/5 stars and praised the performances, cinematography, and soundtrack, but criticised the runtime, pacing, and climax. Simran Khan of
Times Now gave 3/5 stars and wrote "The Aditya Dhar actioner's ending doesn't quite justify its lengthy runtime. However the adrenaline-pumping set pieces and relentless high-voltage action, paired with a background score that amplifies the drama and keeps the tension from ever dipping, make the ride worth it." Karthik Ravindranath of
The Week gave 3/5 stars and wrote "The film's powerful core is diluted by overt jingoism, unnecessary elements, and a tendency to dumb down its message for the audience. Despite these irritants, it remains a largely engaging, albeit flawed, tribute to India's heroes." Vineeta Kumar of
India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "
Dhurandhar is a sprawling, muscular, politically sharp thriller that bites off a lot, and thanks to Khanna's explosive brilliance, chews most of it successfully." Kartik Bhardwaj of
The New Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "The Aditya Dhar directorial seems like a film which is asking for your time, so that it can lay down its cards. But then two hours have passed and the ace seems to be still far up its sleeves."
Deepa Gahlot of
Rediff.com gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "
Dhurandhar may not have the dark realism of a spy story, which a web show can manage. But it does not have the flamboyance either that has come to be associated with espionage movies." Shalini Langer of
The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars, and described the film as an "ambitious spy thriller" that ultimately works only "in flashes". She praised the film's scale, production values, and the attempt to depict the many layers of Lyari's criminal, political, and familial dynamics. However, she argued that despite its large cast and multiple narrative strands, the film only intermittently comes together, with its storytelling lacking consistency. Sakhi Thirani of
Common Sense Media gave 1/5 stars and wrote "Despite dealing with sensitive issues like terrorism and war,
Dhurandhar lacks a sincere or thoughtful storyline. Instead, it's more concerned with romanticizing torture, aggression, and machismo without examining the consequences of such violence."
Sadanand Dhume of
The Wall Street Journal wrote "Dhurandhar is the first major Bollywood movie to realistically portray the terrorist threat India faces." Columnist
Shobhaa De wrote "It's not about politics. It's about a story – perhaps fictionalised. ... I won't mind watching it all over again. Yes, three and a half hours of it." Nandini Ramnath of
Scroll.in wrote "A considerable stretch of the staggering 214-minute film is no different from gangland chronicles led by swaggering, aphorism-dripping men. Hamza's rise to the top of the Karachi underworld is soaked in blood and cliche". Athulya Nambiar of
Mid-Day wrote "It's too soon to judge
Dhurandhar as a good or bad film, simply because the story isn't complete yet." Anuj Kumar of
The Hindu wrote "Moored by a charismatic Akshaye Khanna and a brooding Ranveer Singh, Aditya Dhar's ambitious but overstretched and chest-thumping espionage saga serves political interests, tests endurance." Rahul Desai of
The Hollywood Reporter India wrote "Aditya Dhar's second film after
Uri: The Surgical Strike stars Ranveer Singh as a patriotic spy trapped in an inert and distracted action thriller." Uday Bhatia of
Mint wrote "
Dhurandhar offers sadism and expert bad vibes and it shares something else fundamental with Dhar's previous work—it's propaganda in service of a hawkish India, designed to flatter the ruling BJP leadership."
Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) Rishabh Suri of
Hindustan Times rated it 4/5, noting it as "a roller-coaster thriller that may not match the first film's precision but is elevated by Ranveer Singh's powerful performance and a gripping second half." Radhika Sharma of
NDTV rated 3/5, says
Dhurandhar 2 is an out-and-out
Ranveer Singh show that brings pataakhe to Pakistan's terror network party and shreds it to pieces, figuratively and literally. The story follows Jaskirat Singh Rangi's transformation into Hamza Ali Mazari, with Ajay Sanyal guiding him. Action, espionage, and political commentary dominate the narrative. Divya Nair of
Rediff.com gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and praised it as "an engaging, twist-filled entertainer with layered storytelling and strong impact, despite its politics, gore, and inconsistencies." Agnivo Niyogi, writing for
The Telegraph, wrote that the movie "has more gore, more violence and brazen propaganda. But it lacks the finesse that Dhurandhar at least could boast of." Chirag Sehgal of
News18 rated it 3.5/5, writing that "the storytelling emerges as an equally powerful driving force. The film scores high on narrative depth, with a series of twists that make the plot consistently gripping, leaving you both surprised and intrigued." Nandini Ramnath, writing for
Scroll, noted "
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is
Marco, L2: Empuraan or
K.G.F: Chapter 2, but with malice that meshes seamlessly with pro-government propaganda." Shubhra Gupta, writing for the
Indian Express, gave the movie a rating of 2/5 and added that it fails to match the standard of the first part.
Bollywood Hungama rated 4.5/5, stating that the movie "packs a solid punch, with twists and turns that catch you off guard and first-rate performances." Vineeta Kumar of
India Today awarded 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Dhurandhar: The Revenge is not subtle cinema. It is loud, unapologetic, and absolutely certain of itself. But within that loudness lies design, control, and a clear cinematic voice." Siby Jeyya of
India Herald rated 4/5 stars and called it "a long, loud yet relentlessly gripping sequel that goes deeper, darker and more emotional, emerging as a powerful cinematic experience despite minor flaws." Renuka Vyavahare of
The Times of India rated it 3/5, noting "a well-crafted, engaging saga that doesn't know when to stop," and describing it as "a relentless action extravaganza teetering on excess." Mayank Shekhar of
Mid-Day rated it 3.5/5, writing that it features "straight-off connections playing on your mind, so seamlessly blurring fantasy and non-fiction." Sajin Shrijith of
The Week rated it 3.5/5, stating that it is "longer and paced differently compared to its predecessor," with some portions feeling "a bit more stretched out than necessary — specifically in the third act." Nonika Singh of
The Tribune gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote that "violence, too, gets a double X treatment: limbs chopped, heads rolling and foul language could well be its default setting." Anuj Kumar, writing for
The Hindu, wrote "Dhurandhar 2 roars, but in its deafening cocktail of patriotism and propaganda, it forgets the quiet cost of humanity, leaving little space for reflection." Mamta Raut of
Mashable India concluded that the film is "a paradox," calling it "a brilliantly executed spy thriller" that "leans heavily into propaganda." Simran Singh of
Daily News and Analysis rated 4/5, stating that the film "ups the ante in terms of action, gore, violence, performances, and even the length." Sowmya Rajendran of
The News Minute called the part 2 as "angrier, louder, more blatant in its messaging—and ultimately emptier." Lachmi Deb Roy of
Firstpost rated it 3.5/5, calling it "engaging, immersive, and ferociously intense," while noting that the dialogues are "witty, emotional, and razor sharp," and the action is "well thought out" rather than mindless. Devesh Sharma of
Filmfare.com gave 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and described
Dhurandhar: The Revenge as "a loud, gory, hyper-nationalistic spectacle that storms in with scale and swagger but forgets the value of brevity." Kartik Bhardwaj of
Cinema Express labelled it, "a masterful, stylish piece of mythmaking that mixes gripping storytelling with heavy political messaging." Uday Bhatia of
Mint viewed it as "a rage-fuelled, hyper-violent sequel driven by propaganda and spectacle, but weakened by excess and lack of emotional depth." Gayatri Nirmal of
Pinkvilla praising the execution, also observes that "the second chapter, feels slightly sluggish," and the background score doesn't match the impact of the first instalment. Srujani Mohinta of
Zee News wrote that "with patriotic and emotionally charged dialogues, adrenaline-pumping sequences, and heroic moments, the film comfortably fits into the category of a classic mass entertainer." Sneha Bengani of
CNBC TV18 observes a spectacle-heavy sequel driven by Ranveer Singh's presence, yet weighed down by thin characterisation and excessive runtime. Sakshi Salil Chavan of
Outlook India gave 2/5 stars, observes that
Dhurandhar: The Revenge "leans heavily into gore, violence and strong pro-government messaging," but "falls short of recreating the rich worldbuilding that defined the first film." Princy Alexander of
Onmanorama notes that the first half "remains immersive," while the sequel "embraces a far more brutal and visceral tone," making it "noticeably more graphic and gory." == See also ==