Pakistani Man Reviews Ranveer Singh’s ‘Risky’ Dhurandhar: ‘It Took Me To Uncomfortable Places’

Dhurandhar has been riding high since its release earlier this month due to its bold spy narrative. Along with praise for its performances and scale, the film has also sparked intense debate especially for how it portrays cross-border conflict and real-life inspired events.

Amid this, a Pakistani viewer’s response to the film has drawn attention not by avoiding the discomfort the narrative brings but by acknowledging it while still engaging with the film as cinema.

A Pakistani Reacts To Dhurandhar

In the video, shared on Instagram, the man begins by identifying his roots, saying, “I think sabko pata hai. I was brought up in Pakistan in Karachi. Us movie mein bahut naam aur characters aise hai jo they link home, usi age group mein hai jo sunte aare

ho un naamo ko (I think everyone knows I was brought up in Pakistan, in Karachi. There are many names and characters in the film that feel close to home, names we’ve been hearing since we were young).”

Calling himself a long-time admirer of Hindi cinema, he says, “I am a big fan of Bollywood and I am a big fan of cinema and I actually enjoyed the film. Acchi movie banai hai…it’s an art form. All I can say is brilliant work.”

He also addresses the political aspect directly, stating, “Guess once again in the movie the enemy is Pakistan – hai dono countries ke beech mein tension (Once again, Pakistan is shown as the enemy in the film — there is tension between the two countries).”

Talking about the emotional impact, he adds, “And looking at the historic events and a bit of backlash coming from family, that all aside, it is really refreshing to see great use of music, great use of cinema, great use of screenplay and then the actors just sone pe suhaga. Go watch it. Go get your blood boiling and there are some genuine scenes which make you unhappy and are against humanity.”

He further explains, “Tum countries ke label hata do – one human doing wrong to another human is just bloody wrong. Wo reality hai, aisa hua hai toh it may hurt you on a personal level. Wo hamara tumhara hata do, sirf insaan ka dekho (Remove the labels of countries — one human doing wrong to another human is simply wrong. It is a reality. If something like this has happened, it may hurt you on a personal level. Remove the ‘us versus them’ divide and look at it purely as one human being harming another).”

The caption shared with the video reads, “As a Pakistani watching Dhurandhar, it definitely takes you to some very uncomfortable places, especially if you’re from Karachi and know Lyari beyond the stereotypes. But that, for me, is a testament to how strong the direction, screenplay and performances are – the film is gripping, hard-hitting and refuses to play it safe.”

“Even though I’m always against violence of any kind, I can still appreciate when cinema uses intense, uncomfortable narratives to make you think long after you leave the theatre. As a long-time Bollywood fan, this one felt bold, risky and unforgettable,” he added.

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How People Reacted

The clip received a wide range of responses and even television actress Kishwar Merchant commented, writing, “Am a fan of humanity.”

Another user wrote, “Pakistani bros & sisters are winning hearts with open mindedness.”

Someone else wrote, “Thank you for your honest review. The true events portrayed were deeply impactful due to their realism, and I believe viewers like yourself would have felt the same emotions during those scenes.” Another added, “Kash saab aap jaisa sochte, thank you, finally nice to see some positivity.”

“Truth prevails beyond borders. Fantastically articulated bro,” read another comment.

Dhurandhar Plot And Box Office Performance

Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh as Hamza, an Indian spy who infiltrates Pakistan’s Lyari to dismantle terror networks shown as being backed by the ISI. The ensemble cast includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi and Arjun Rampal in pivotal roles.

At the box office, the film has crossed the Rs 350 crore net mark in India within just 10 days of release. It currently sits just behind films like Dangal and Animal and has surpassed the lifetime collections of Sanju (Rs 342 crore), PK (Rs 341 crore) and Saiyaara (Rs 330 crore).