Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra acknowledged that his sensibilities come from a very different school of cinema than Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, but that didn’t stop him from praising the Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna–starrer spy thriller. He applauded Aditya’s choices in casting and the film’s execution, and defended against the propaganda label.
Sudhir Mishra praises Aditya Dhar
The filmmaker took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to praise Aditya Dhar and his film Dhurandhar. It began when one social media user asked whether any filmmaker from Indian cinema will make a film on the Unnao rape case.
Responding to this, Sudhir wrote, “One of us has the guts. There is a film. You’ll see it soon. Also please stop lumping us all under one brand, called Bollywood. We belong to the Indian Film Industry and we are all different. By the way Dhurandhar is a well made film . Aditya Dhar is extremely skilled.”
“The acting is terrific. The most difficult thing in film making is a directors ability to make us , the audience smell the place and Aditya Dhar with the help of his brilliant Cinematographer and Production Designer manage to do just that. The casting , including the minor parts is bang on. I am of course, a filmmaker, from another school,” he added.
When a social media user accused the film of being propaganda, Sudhir responded with a measured and calculated reply.
The social media user wrote, “Dhurandhar is a propaganda sudhir Sir, with an evil intent to monetise on pop nationalism & sectarian mindset.” To this, Sudhir replied, “Make a powerful film , with all the virtues of a great cinema experience which counters it.”
Dhurandhar wins box office game
Helmed by Aditya Dhar, the spy action thriller is the first instalment of a two-part film series. It tells the story of an Indian spy infiltrating Karachi’s criminal and political underworld in Pakistan. The plot weaves together several real-life events involving geopolitical tensions, such as the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and events surrounding Operation Lyari. The film has crossed ₹700 crore in India, and minted over ₹1117 crore worldwide. The film’s sequel will be released in theatres on March 19, 2026, and will clash with Yash’s Toxic.
