Dhurandhar: A Long, Gritty Thriller Anchored by Ranveer Singh
Dhurandhar opens without ceremony, and the film keeps that attitude throughout. This isn’t a flashy patriotic spectacle. It’s a tough, tightly wound espionage story where every conversation is a risk and every decision seems to come with a consequence. By the time Ranveer Singh appears among the shadows, you know the film has no intention of entertaining you lightly.
The plot follows an Indian operative working deep undercover in Pakistan, attempting to infiltrate a criminal network that is quietly feeding extremist groups, intelligence assets and political chaos. There is no clear border between the gangs and the state. Police wear uniforms, criminals wear badges, and the protagonist has to navigate this overlap while never drawing attention to himself.
He shifts identities frequently. In Karachi he is a dock worker. In Peshawar he’s a courier. Sometimes he is a mercenary, sometimes a facilitator. The mission is never explained in patriotic speeches. Instead, the objectives emerge from small conversations, coded messages and hand-offs in crowded markets. The film shows how information, weapons and money move through hidden channels — and how a single disruption can trigger violence.
A key narrative thread revolves around an upcoming attack planned on Indian soil, coordinated through a network of handlers, hawala routes and radical cells. The operation is not presented as a mastermind villain’s grand plan; it grows from distrust, opportunism and desperation. The protagonist’s job is not to heroically prevent it in one stroke, but to quietly break the chain — one courier, one shipment, one lie at a time. That patient approach is what defines the film.
There are internal frictions. Some militants are true believers, others are businessmen. Pakistani intelligence wants plausible deniability. Local police want bribes. Foreign handlers want results. The danger for the operative comes not from a single enemy but from a system where everyone is watching everyone else. A casual wrong move in a café can be as fatal as a gunfight in a warehouse.
The film’s tension comes from these small details. One scene involves a dinner at a safehouse where smiles are polite but eyes are suspicious. Another is a border crossing where forged documents are examined too slowly. These quiet moments generate the same unease as the action sequences, because the protagonist’s cover could collapse at any time. In the auditorium, I noticed people holding their breath during scenes where almost nothing was happening — the uncertainty was enough.
Ranveer plays the role with restraint. His character is rarely emotional, but there is a sense of erosion underneath. He looks tired, he walks carefully, and he reacts faster than he speaks. There is no heroic monologue about sacrifice. The film shows it through behaviour: sleepless nights, sudden bursts of violence, and a steady awareness that the mission is consuming his identity.
Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan and Arjun Rampal all fit into this web. One runs a criminal syndicate tied to the port. Another supervises intelligence liaisons. A third negotiates arms, and a fourth manages fighters. Their motivations do not always align, and that becomes part of the suspense. The protagonist is often caught in the middle, and the film lets scenes breathe long enough for viewers to sense who might betray whom.
The visual style matches the tone. Karachi streets, deserted factories, battered hotels and coastal docks are shot with minimal light. The film avoids glamour. Fights are aggressive but not choreographed to impress. You can hear the impact of punches, the clatter of metal, and the breathlessness that follows. The audience stayed quiet through these scenes. It wasn’t admiration — it was focus.
The length is the only major obstacle. The first half spends time on preparation, infiltration and observation. I felt it, and so did others. But once the plot advances toward the planned attack and personal stakes rise, the film becomes faster and more urgent. The second half carries momentum, and the climax is sharp. The ending is not victory; it is acceptance. People stayed seated for a few moments before leaving, thinking rather than celebrating.
Dhurandhar is serious, disciplined and confident. It is not loud or sentimental, but it is effective. It treats espionage as a world where success is invisible, failure is fatal and very little is clean. With its length, tone and violence, it will not work for everyone. But for those who enjoy grounded thrillers with strong performances and an unhurried approach, Dhurandhar is a compelling film that leaves a lasting impression.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
