Dhurandhar 2 review: Ranveer Singh's spy thriller struggles to recapture original blockbuster's magic and mayhem

Kozhikode, Kerala: What really worked for the first installment of Dhurandhar was that Ranveer Singh’s character, an undercover Indian spy operating in Pakistan, remained largely in the shadows. For once, Bollywood resisted the temptation to make the hero the center, middle, and end of everything. Even the propaganda, both anti-Pakistan and subtly pro-establishment, felt more muted and restrained.

This second instalment Dhurandhar: The Revenge, however, takes a very different route. An origin story tracing Ranveer Singh’s character from a would-be army officer, Jaskirat Singh, to an undercover operative, it is about as subtle as the explosions and cuss words that go off every few minutes. The film feels indulgent and bloated.

With a runtime of nearly four hours (3 hours, 55 minutes), it’s hard not to feel that at least 30 minutes could and should have been trimmed. The action sequences, designed to be grand and deliberately gory, often come across as gratuitous and, at times, laborious.

What worked in the first film was the sense of genuine thrill. Here, those moments are far fewer. Ranveer Singh is presented as a hyper-macho figure, moving through the narrative with little resistance: spraying bullets, scheming, and building an empire with ease. Even standout elements from the first instalment like scenes that allowed Akshaye Khanna to shine at his big throne-and-coronation moment as the “king of Lyari,” with Arabic singer Flipperachi tunes has been repurposed with another hit song.

The first time you see it, there’s a thrill; the second time, it exposes a breakdown of creative bankruptcy. The second half, in particular, plays out as an ode to Ranveer Singh. Also, his carefully styled, loose curled, while striking, become oddly distracting over time.

The plot twists, including attempts to tie in real-world events like demonetisation in India as a strategy to curb terror funding, feel contrived. At several points, the film comes across as an overt tribute to the Prime Minister, with dialogues that are blunt to the point of being on-the-nose—such as Pakistani extremists referring to a “tea-seller PM” making their lives miserable. These moments lack nuance and undercut the storytelling.

The supporting performances are largely serviceable. Arjun Rampal, as the extremist, is interesting to watch but never quite delivers a performance that truly shakes you.

The young and nubile Sara Arjun, now pregnant and stepping into a more settled life in a new villa provided by her doting husband (one suspects they might even be sparring over hair conditioner choices), does her part well. So does R Madhavan as this nifty top intelligence official. He's compelling to watch, but you almost feel that every character is overstaying their welcome.

There is very little effort from Aditya Dhar to conceal that this spy thriller draws heavily from a series of real-life events, but the treatment of its partly fictional universe and world-building takes significant liberties. Rakesh Bedi, as the smarmy, manipulative politician Jameel Jamali, is perhaps the most fun to watch—his jokes land, and his slyness only adds to the performance. Sanjay Dutt, playing SP Chaudhary Aslam, brings his trademark swagger, though not much beyond that. The larger issue with Dhurandhar: The Revenge is that despite this ensemble, you rarely feel truly invested in any of them.

The ending, which touches on the very real trauma and identity crisis of an undercover spy (someone who no longer truly belongs either at home or in the country he was sent to infiltrate) should have been explored far more deeply. Instead, the emotionally charged final sequences feel staged rather than earned. You also find yourself missing the mischief, menace, and volatile unpredictability that Akshaye Khanna brought to the first film.

Be warned, there is no shortage of violence like severed heads, guns fired at point-blank range, even brutal mutilation, but after a point, you simply stop feeling anything. Even Ranveer Singh and the talented ensemble's collective acting prowess cannot elevate an overwrought, heaving actioner.

Overall, Dhurandhar: The Revenge isn’t a snooze fest, you’re never truly bored, but you are constantly aware of how indulgent it is in places, from its over-the-top action to its sprawling runtime.

*The journalist watched this movie in India.