Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster film Dhurandhar is back with fresh controversy months after its release. The action thriller was one of the biggest hits of 2025 and crossed Rs 1,000 crore worldwide within just three weeks. However, ahead of the release of Dhurandhar The Revenge (Dhurandhar 2), the film has sparked fresh debate after actress Swara Bhaskar’s mother Ira Bhaskar criticised it during a public discussion.
Ira Bhaskar, who is a film scholar, said the film shows Muslims and Pakistan in a one-sided and violent way. She made these remarks during a conversation about the politics of modern Indian cinema. The discussion was hosted by activist and writer Harsh Mander on his YouTube channel Karwan e Mohabbat. Political science professor Harish Wankhede was also part of the panel.
Ira Bhaskar Questions The Ideology Behind Dhurandhar
During the discussion, Ira Bhaskar said that Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar reflects a strong ideological viewpoint. According to her, the film shows Muslims and Pakistan mostly as violent characters and spreads certain stereotypes.
DON'T MISS
She said that even though the film did very well at the box office, its story carries a clear political message. She added that the violence shown in the film supports a particular belief system.
Ira Bhaskar said, “Its violence is at the service of a belief structure of an ideology that Muslims are very violent people. Pakistan is a very violent nation. You don’t see any normal Muslim there. Everyone is a terrorist or a gangster. So these kind of perceptions about Muslims, it’s propogating this.”
Ira also questioned the way the film claims to be based on real events. She said the makers have selected only certain parts of history to support their narrative.
She added, “It’s a fiction film based on true events, supposedly. And it’s selective, as all these films are. It will only selectively choose what to put together in order to serve the ideology.”
Part 2 Gears Up For Release Amid Success And Criticism
Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar released on December 5, 2025 and became one of the biggest Hindi films ever. The movie reportedly earned around Rs 1349 crore worldwide and became the highest-grossing Hindi-language film in India. It also became the biggest A-rated Indian film of all time.
Many viewers praised the film for its scale, action and performances. However, some critics had a different opinion. A few reviewers said the film was too long and very violent. Others accused the film of pushing propaganda. Film critic Anupama Chopra called it “manipulative” and “dangerous,” which led to heavy reactions on social media. Political commentator Dhruv Rathee and some other public figures also criticised the film’s ideological message.
Despite the controversy, the film remained very popular with audiences. Now the makers are preparing to release the sequel, Dhurandhar The Revenge, on March 19, 2026. The new film continues the story of Ranveer Singh’s character Hamza Ali Mazari, who goes deeper into Pakistani criminal networks while trying to avenge the 26/11 attacks.
The sequel also stars Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Akshaye Khanna in flashback scenes. Advance bookings for the film have already shown strong demand, with reports saying paid previews have crossed Rs 50 crore worldwide.
