December 9, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: I am writing this Dhurandhar Movie Review as a major in film studies production, and I must say that Dhurandhar is a big jump for Indian cinema. The man who directed Uri: The Surgical Strike, Aditya Dhar, has just returned with an ambitious espionage thriller, which, in my view, should be premiered on a cinema screen as big as possible. As the film itself demonstrates, the metamorphosis of Ranveer Singh and a fantastic supporting cast make the film one of the most discussed movies of 2025, despite the fact that the 214-minute duration presents certain narrative challenges.

Director(s): Aditya Dhar
Actor(s): Ranveer Singh, Akshay Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun
Genre: Spy-action, Thriller
A Story Born from True Events: Dhurandhar Movie Review
The Dhurandhar Movie Review begins with facts on which the film is grounded: the plot itself seems to be rooted in the true events of the life of Major Mohit Sharma. The story is set against the backdrop of a post-9/11 India, and follows the disastrous 1999 Air India IC-814 hijacking, as well as the outrageous December 13, 2001, attack on Parliament. In my opinion, the role of Ajay Sanyal, the Intelligence Bureau chief who organises a bold operation to enter the world of the Pakistani underworld played by R. Madhavan, is the most compelling one.

Dhurandhar Movie Review: Ranveer Singh Delivers Career-Defining Performance in Aditya Dhar's Epic Spy Thriller — Image Credit: NDTV

As a student, the Dhurandhar movie review, I emphasise the screenplay by Aditya Dhar, which is co-written with Shivkumar V Panicker and Ojas Gautam and which immerses the reader into the criminal underworld and maintains a patriotic vein. The movie stands out among the average spy movies because of its focus on secret missions, Shakespearean plots, and the psychological cost of working on the other side of the border. The writing is on the strains of thinness at times, but the new twist is refreshingly welcome in the midst of the many stereotyped Pakistan-based movies in existence.

The Powerhouse Performance of Ranveer Singh

When one considers a Dhurandhar Movie Review, it should begin with the fantastic performance of Ranveer Singh, who, in our opinion, seems to have perfected his role in this film more than any other role he has ever played in his life. Singh experiences a full personality transformation as he practically disappears into his mysterious personality that causes havoc in Pakistan. It is agreed that Singh hardly talks, but in his eyes, he tells the whole story. His dedication, both physical and emotional, gives it a wonderful dimension which goes far beyond his usual extravagant character.

The compliment goes on to the ensemble cast. Akshaye Khanna is an actor who steals the scene as Rehman Dakait, and his minimalistic nature brings the maximum effect: each expression is a threat, and he dominates without talking too much. I admit that the restrained threat of Khanna can be considered the finest performance of his career. R. Madhavan provides some seriousness as the troubled IB head, and Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun work as the multi-layered narrative is woven on screen.

Cinematic Artistry and technological best

Technically, Dhurandhar requires theatrical watching. As we move ahead in the Dhurandhar Movie Review, cinematography creates a realistic and spooky environment using well-thought-out palettes of colours that make viewers plunge into the world of espionage terror. The score does not give the stress a chance to calm down, and the sound design enhances the uncivilised, gritty action scenes. I also like the blend of VFX and real-life effects, because the audience can hardly see the digital overlays, which is quite a measure of the commitment of the production to realistic effects.

The clever combination of actual shots and historical audio brings critical scenes to the truly chilling realm. The action sequences evade the Bollywood extravagance and instead, provide bare, gut-throbbing fighting that seems realistic. These set pieces are precise, and this demonstrates a sense of maturity by Dhar as an action director. Its production design to costuming are dedicated to the serious tone and the historical setting of the story, so this Dhurandhar movie review is mostly positive regarding the craft.

Strengths and Structural Weaknesses in Narratives

Further in the Dhurandhar movie review, I do not deny the great ambitions of the film, as well as the fact that it also stumbles at times. Dhurandhar is one of the longest Indian movies at 214 minutes. The long run time gives it time to tell a complete story and to develop all the characters, although the action is sometimes slowed down by too many subplots. In having a big ensemble, some of the storylines, especially the romantic ones, are not as critical to the overall impact of the movie.

There is sometimes no breathing room in the plot. Some violent scenes are on the edge of over the top, but these scenes are probably as close as possible to the ugliness of the undercover life. The narrative calibre is somewhat patience-testing to the viewers, particularly in the middle act when exposition may take over the motion. However, I believe that the time spenders will be rewarded with a spy thriller that is immersive in nature and that does not stray from commercial convenience.

Dhurandhar Movie Review: Box office Collection

Dhurandhar has exceeded the projections in the commercial aspect. Estimates of opening-day earnings are approximately Rs. 25 crore, which means that this movie will perform well, in particular, at PVR and Inox chains that also show the film in other regions. The audience interest is good, and about 45-50 per cent of overall revenue is generated by such locations, which is already above the average 30 per cent. Reviews such as the Dhurandhar movie review reveal the desire of fans to enjoy the ambitious nature of the film and the intense performance of Singh.

It is as well as the social media response, which was mostly favourable, with self-proclaimed critics like Umair Sandhu declaring the film as out of syllabus with a powerful and power-packed performance. There is always a comment made on the performance of dialogue, action choreography, and an involved screenplay, with some commenting that the length is a weakness. IMDb grade of 7.7/10 is a good indication of high approval by the audience. Importantly, this is the first movie in which Ranveer Singh collaborates with Aditya Dhar; in case the box-office performance is positive, this may precondition the further success of this movie and the possible sequel of Eid.