Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar has been drawing mixed reactions from the audiences, despite raking in almost Rs 250 crore at the box office in India. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film was praised by a section of the audience for its expansive storytelling and attention to detail, while the others criticised it for the violence it portrays and the story that panders to 'right wing propaganda'.
R Madhavan, who plays a key role as Ajay Sanyal in the film, recently hit back at the negative reviews surrounding the film, questioning whether they had an "agenda" against the spy drama. In a recent interview with Esquire India, Madhavan said that he knew the film was going to be part of several discussions and "impact society". "There will be people who will first give it very bad ratings, and then there will be people who will suddenly go and wonder, 'Wow, this happened.' I'm not saying this out of spite, but it's time to evolve as actors. I don't want people to see me as the hero - I think I am. So how do I change? I think that change is required by everybody in the industry, which is why I knew that this was going to be iconic," he said, thanking the makers for visualising him in the role of Ajay Sanyal.
The actor claimed that some critics had written the review even before the release, terming it "disaster", which made him question the veracity of the reviews. "But having said that, you are free to express your opinion, but even before the film was released, obituaries have been written, and on its release, you have posted a review calling it a disaster - one wonders if there is an agenda. But as actors, we thrive on this situation," he added.
Madhavan had also expressed his disappointment and displeasure for critics' reactions, by reposting a fan's Instagram story where Akshaye Khanna’s character is seen warning the public. "This goes for some critics as well," said the user.
Earlier, The Film Critics Guild had taken cognisance of the threats and hatred reviewers had been receiving following the release of Dhurandhar and issued a statement condemning the "targeted attacks, harrassment, and hate" directed towards them. "What began as disagreement has rapidly devolved into coordinated abuse, personal attacks on individual critics, and organised attempts to discredit their professional integrity," they wrote, noting how they were "deeply concerned" about the saftey and well being of colleagues from across the country.
For the unversed, Dhurandhar takes inspiration from real-life events like the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, 2001 Parliament attack, and 2008 Mumbai strikes. It follows the story of an Indian intelligence operative Hamza (Ranveer), who infiltrates Pakistan's underworld at the behest of an Indian spymaster Ajay Sanyal (Madhavan).
The cast of Dhurandhar also includes Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait, Sanjay Dutt as Chaudhary Aslam, and Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal of the ISI. Sara Arjun made her debut as a lead, after being part of several projects as a child actor.
