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Even as Dhurandhar actors such as Ankit Sagar and Danish Pandor have defended the film’s political messaging, content creator Dhruv Rathee has attacked the film calling it ‘false propaganda’. The Ranveer Singh film which is receiving praise for its tight screenplay and action — it has earned over Rs 800 crore at the global box office, it has also led to a debate over its political narrative and the way it has displayed real-life incidents. Three terror episodes are shown closely in Dhurandhar — IC 814 hijack in 1999, the 2001 attack on Parliament and the November 11, 2008 Mumbai attacks. Earlier, actor Hrithik Roshan had praised Dhurandhar but said he couldn’t agree with its politics.
Dhruv Rathee on Dhurandhar
Now, content creator Dhruv Rathee has come out with a new video on the Aditya Dhar film. “Director of the film Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar, has made a false claim and tried to spread nonsense propaganda through his film,” he says in the video. This is not the first time Rathee targeted the film, he had earlier criticised the violence in the film after its trailer came out.
Dhurv Rathee calls Dhurandhar 'dangerous'. (Photo: Dhurv Rathee/Instagram/IMDb)
“Well-made propaganda is more dangerous. Films like The Taj Story and The Bengal Films were not dangerous, kyunki wo bakwaas films thi (because they were bad films). But Dhurandhar is an engaging film,” he says in his latest film. Despite the Ranveer Singh film carrying a disclaimer that it’s fictional, Rathee said it’s not ‘just a film’. He said, “The problem is that Dhurandhar repeatedly shows you it’s inspired by real events. It says so in the trailer. It shows the real footage from the 26/11 attacks. The real audio recordings of conversations between the terrorists and their handlers have been used. It also uses real-life gangsters and cops based in Pakistan’s Lyari.”
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Dhurandhar is a spy thriller that draws from real events to show the story of an Indian spy embedded in the gangs of Pakistan, trying to dismantle their terror network from within. It stars Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt. The film has been a runaway success, earning close to ₹800 crore worldwide in just 16 days.
'That was India's situation,' says Dhurandhar actor Ankit Sagar
R Madhavan in a still from Dhurandhar.
Actor Ankit Sagar, who played Javed Khanani in the film was asked about Madhavan’s character Ajay Sanyal, loosely based on India NSA chief Ajit Doval saying in the film that ‘Ek Hindustani hi doosre Hindustani ka sabse bada dushman hai (An Indian is the biggest enemy of another India)’ is pushing Dhar’s agenda. While the actor said he stayed away from politics, he said, “That was the situation in India at the time. This must have been researched, the director must have shown it based on it. Demonetisation happened… there must have been a reason. So many such things have happened especially in this country. While I cannot say anything as an actor… kuch to hua hoga (something must have happened).”
‘You can’t deny 26/11,’ says Dhurandhar actor
When asked about the political narrative that many have targeted in the Aditya Dhar film and Hrithik’s comments, Danish Pandor — who plays Rehman Dakait’s cousin Uzair Baloch in the film — told India TV, “This is very subjective. There are some things that you would prefer, and I wouldn’t and vice versa. As far as the political aspect goes, these are all the research things, even if you take into consideration the 26/11 attack, you can’t deny that. It had happened and the voice notes of handlers and terrorists were there on the screen, it literally gives you goosebumps, and at the same time, disheartens you as a person… what exactly have they done.”
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He, however, focused on how the film makes you empathise with what the hostages went through at the time. “There were so many hostages inside, and when everything was happening through the media perspective, when we were watching it, and at that point of time, you couldn’t realise what these guys will be going through, but just that voice note which has been portrayed, which is being shown on the screen. You empathise immediately. And what if you were there at that point of time, empathising is very important,” Pandor had said.
