‘Tum Hindu?’: Ajit Doval Shares Chilling Lahore Encounter As Dhurandhar Brings Real Spy Stories Back Into Focus

Dhurandhar fever is real. Ever since the spy thriller hit theatres early this month, the film has stayed firmly in public conversation. From Akshaye Khanna’s much-talked-about FA9LA entry to Ranveer Singh’s emotional intensity during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack sequence, Dhurandhar has been receiving steady praise for both performances and storytelling.

The film also features R Madhavan as Ajay Sanyal, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The character is believed to be inspired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who spent years operating undercover in Pakistan. Doval is known to have lived for nearly seven years across different parts of Pakistan in the late 1980s while working for the IB and posing as a Muslim to avoid detection.

Ajit Doval: ‘The OG Dhurandhar’

At a public event, Doval was asked about those years and whether he ever faced a “dharam sankat” (a moral dilemma). The question led him to narrate an incident from Lahore that highlighted the risks and emotional complexity of living undercover.

In the clip, Doval explains that he had returned from a mosque when he noticed an elderly man sitting in a corner. The man, who had a long white beard called him over and asked, “Tum Hindu ho? (Are you a Hindu?).” Doval replied that he is not.

Pierced Ears And A Warning

The man then asked him to come along and took him into a small room. The elderly man insisted that Doval was Hindu. When Doval asked why, the man pointed to his pierced ears. He explained that in certain regions, there is a tradition of piercing the ears of young Hindu boys. Doval responded by saying, “Haan, main jab paida hua tha tab mai tha, baad mein mai convert hua hu (Yes, I was Hindu when I was born, later I converted).”

The man rejected the explanation and advised Doval to get plastic surgery done on his ears.

“Unhone bola ki tum baad mein bhi convert nhi hue ho aur bola ki kaan ki plastic surgery karwa lo kyuki es tarah se ghumna thik nahi hai (He told me that I had not converted later also and advised me to get plastic surgery on my ears because moving around like this was not safe),” Doval said. He then explained why he felt compelled to say so.

“Kyuki mai bhi Hindu hu (Because I am also a Hindu),” the man said. He then opened a cupboard and revealed small idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. He explained that his entire family had been killed during communal violence and that he was now living under a changed identity as a respected local religious figure.

He shared that he continued to practice his faith in private. The man told Doval that seeing other Hindus made him happy but survival had forced him to maintain a false identity as well.

The clip from the event has gained attention after Dhurandhar’s release. It was shared on X with the caption, “Ajit Doval spent 7 yrs disguised as beggar in Pakistan! Hear it from the OG Dhurandhar!”

Ajit doval spent 7 yrs disguised as begger in Pakistan! Hear it from the OG Dhurandhar! 🔥❤️ pic.twitter.com/WDvCnzZmyg

— Shilpa (@shilpa_cn) December 15, 2025

Dhurandhar’s Plot And Performance

Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh as Hamza, an Indian spy who infiltrates the crime-ridden lanes of Pakistan’s Lyari to dismantle terror networks backed by the ISI. The film has been widely praised for its gritty storytelling and performances. The ensemble cast also 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 major blockbusters like Dangal and Animal and has overtaken the lifetime collections of Sanju (Rs 342 crore), PK (Rs 341 crore) and Saiyaara (Rs 330 crore).