Dhurandhar (2025) REVIEW ft. Sanjay, Ranveer, and Akshaye

Nearly two years after his last solo release, Ranveer Singh steps back into theaters with Dhurandhar, a spy thriller crafted by Aditya Dhar. The film brings together Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, and newcomer Sara Arjun. Opening December 5, 2025, this project carries an A certificate and stretches across 3 hours 34 minutes of runtime.

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Built on a Rs 280 crore budget, the film takes inspiration from covert intelligence work. Following events like the IC-814 crisis and the Parliament attack, it follows a risky infiltration into Pakistan’s criminal networks. Madhavan plays intelligence head Ajay Sanyal, who handpicks a troubled Punjab youth for undercover duty in Karachi’s dangerous streets.

How the Mission Unfolds

The operation centers on breaking apart terrorist cells hidden within Pakistan’s underworld. Sanyal needs an operative who won’t stand out among criminals and militants. He finds his candidate in a young prisoner serving time for a revenge killing. That raw anger becomes useful when channeled correctly. Training transforms this angry youth into someone who can navigate Karachi’s most dangerous zones.

Living multiple identities takes its toll on anyone doing this work. The story digs into that psychological weight while showing how intelligence work happens in shadowy corners far from public view. Betrayals pile up as the mission progresses, with trust becoming a luxury no one can afford. Each step forward brings new complications and threats.

Lead Performance Stands Out

Ranveer brings restraint to this role in ways we haven’t seen from him before. The physical transformation with unkempt beard and weathered appearance goes beyond surface level. His eyes carry genuine exhaustion and determination that makes the character’s journey believable. I noticed how he lets silence do the work in several scenes rather than relying on dialogue.

Madhavan handles his strategist role with quiet confidence. As the architect of this dangerous plan, he must make calculated decisions while knowing lives hang in the balance. His scenes with Ranveer establish their dynamic effectively – the experienced handler and his unpredictable asset.

The Ensemble Delivers

Sanjay Dutt brings gravitas as Pakistani officer Chaudhary Aslam. His presence adds legitimacy to the film’s depiction of law enforcement in the region. Akshaye Khanna surprised many with his turn as gangster Rehman Dakait. His menacing portrayal shows an actor stepping far outside previous comfort zones. The intensity he brings to confrontation scenes creates memorable moments.

Arjun Rampal’s ISI officer Major Iqbal operates with calculated cruelty. His character represents the institutional threat facing the protagonist at every turn. Sara Arjun manages to hold her own despite limited experience. The supporting cast fills out the world with convincing portrayals of various players in this dangerous game.

Technical Strengths Shine

Aditya Dhar constructs an oppressive atmosphere from the opening frame. The production design team recreated Layari Town settings with striking detail. Filming across Bangkok, Mumbai, Amritsar and Ladakh gives the project visual variety while maintaining its gritty aesthetic. Cinematography captures both cramped alleyways and expansive desert landscapes with equal skill.

Action choreography prioritizes impact over flash. Fights feel brutal and consequential rather than choreographed dance numbers. The camera doesn’t shy away from showing damage and exhaustion. I found the hand-to-hand combat sequences particularly well-executed because they play out with realistic pacing and consequences.

Sound and Music Work

Shashwat Sachdev’s score knows when to surge and when to retreat. The background music supports tension without announcing itself unnecessarily. During the climax, the score amplifies emotional beats effectively. The title track remix featuring Hanumankind and Jasmine Sandlas found huge audiences online, becoming a cultural moment before the film’s release.

Beyond surface-level action, the script explores what happens to people who live lies professionally. Maintaining cover stories while conducting dangerous operations creates psychological pressure that eventually cracks even strong personalities. The film gives space to show that internal struggle alongside external threats.

Runtime Creates Issues

At 214 minutes, the film demands significant commitment from viewers. Several sequences stretch beyond their natural endpoints. The middle section particularly slows down as it establishes various plot elements for the third act. Cutting 25-30 minutes wouldn’t have hurt the story while significantly improving flow.

The narrative follows recognizable beats from the spy thriller playbook. Infiltration, gaining trust, gathering intelligence, facing exposure, and final confrontation all proceed as genre veterans would expect. While the execution shows craft, the underlying structure offers limited surprises. More unexpected story developments would have elevated the material.

Balancing the Cast

Ranveer dominates screen time at the expense of other talented actors. Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal make strong impressions but their characters remain somewhat one-dimensional. More scenes exploring their backgrounds and motivations would have enriched the overall tapestry. The ensemble deserved better utilization given the caliber of performers assembled.

Violence levels push boundaries even for mature audiences. The CBFC removed some content, yet what remains includes graphic torture and brutal killings. This serves the film’s dark vision but also narrows its potential audience significantly. Some sequences feel gratuitous rather than narratively necessary.

Audience Responses Vary

Early reactions from preview audiences used words like “brutal” and “atmospheric” frequently. Many praised how the film maintains tension across its lengthy runtime. Social media posts rated it between 4 and 4.5 stars on average. Several viewers specifically called out the climax as a standout sequence that justified the buildup.

Fight choreography and production design received consistent praise. People appreciated the effort to ground action in reality rather than physics-defying stunts. However, critiques emerged around familiar patriotic themes and excessive dialogue in places. Some found Ranveer’s performance lacking the authority the role demanded, though this remained a minority view.

Legal controversy before release involving Major Mohit Sharma’s family added unwanted attention. Filmmakers repeatedly stated the story is fictional despite being inspired by real operations. This back-and-forth dominated headlines leading up to release. Industry supporters like Hrithik Roshan defended the project publicly while others questioned creative boundaries.

Where It Lands

Dhurandhar delivers on its promise of intense, large-scale spy thriller filmmaking. Ranveer Singh proves capable of carrying serious dramatic material when given proper direction. Aditya Dhar demonstrates his understanding of this genre extends beyond his previous success. The film represents ambitious filmmaking willing to challenge audience comfort levels.

Strong craft in action sequences, cinematography, and production design elevates the material. The commitment to showing intelligence work’s brutal reality rather than glamorizing it gives the film distinction. Ranveer’s performance shows growth in his range as an actor taking on darker, more complex roles.

For audiences seeking gritty, uncompromising action cinema, Dhurandhar offers substantial rewards. The lengthy runtime and graphic content require specific viewer tolerance. It works best experienced in theaters where the technical achievements can be fully appreciated. This stands as one of the bolder mainstream Hindi releases in recent memory.

Rating: 4/5