Dhurandhar on Netflix review from UAE: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna power thrilling but problematic blockbuster

Dubai: There are many things that go through your mind as you watch Dhurandhar, the controversial blockbuster that has raked in over Rs 14 billion at the Indian box office.

UAE audiences who love Bollywood movies didn’t get to see it during its theatrical release, but now it is streaming on Netflix and it feels like the ultimate guilty pleasure. We are late to the party, and expectations are sky-high.

First things first: this is a compelling spy thriller. Ranveer Singh plays an undercover agent sent to Lyari town in Pakistan to infiltrate a powerful gang led by Akshaye Khanna, who brings an undeniable swagger and menace to the role.

It is also an extremely violent film. If you don’t have the stomach for severed heads, skulls smashed with stones and blood splattering across the screen, this movie is not for you. It certainly isn’t meant for viewers who flinch at graphic gore.

You also need to keep in mind that Aditya Dhar is a filmmaker with a strong political lens. The narrative is skewed, pushing a one-sided agenda in which India’s rival nation is portrayed through deeply troubling stereotypes. The layers of prejudice and caricature are hard to ignore.

And then comes the unavoidable question about the politics of art.

At many points, your enjoyment of Dhurandhar depends on which side of the rival nation you stand on. A shoddily made film like The Kerala Files or The Kashmir Files, with its loud jingoism, may not affect you as much as a well-crafted propaganda film that presents fiction as fact under the guise of realism.

That is what makes Dhurandhar more unsettling. Its insular vision and technical polish blur the line between storytelling and political messaging, making it easier for audiences to consume ideology without questioning it. When propaganda is wrapped in slick filmmaking and strong performances, it becomes far more persuasive — and far more dangerous.

Yet, as cinema, it remains gripping. This contradiction is what defines Dhurandhar: a film that is both absorbing and deeply problematic.

In terms of acting, Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna are the backbone and spine of the film.

We know Ranveer as one of Bollywood’s most flamboyant performers, but here he consciously takes a backseat, staying in the shadows because his character must maintain a low profile as an undercover agent. That restraint is interesting to watch — and when the film finally gives him space to emote, he delivers.

One standout scene is when his character realises that the guns he handed over have been used by extremists in Pakistan to carry out the Mumbai blasts. The shock, guilt and helplessness on his face are powerfully captured, showcasing his acting prowess.

Equally striking is the moment when Akshaye Khanna and his on-screen wife break down over the death of their son. Their grief is handled with remarkable emotional restraint — no melodrama, just raw, lived-in trauma that feels painfully real.

Another scene that truly gets under your skin is when Ranveer Singh’s Hamza tries to dissuade Akshaye Khanna from aligning himself with extremist groups that destroy innocent lives. Akshaye Khanna’s visceral reaction in that exchange is pure gold — conflicted, furious and deeply human.

Plus, there’s been a lot of chatter about the 20-year age gap between Ranveer Singh and Sara Arjun, who plays his on-screen love interest. She's a rich politician's daughter and he's a goon, but interestingly the chemistry is solid despite their grating age difference.

The music, too, plays a crucial role in shaping the film’s impact. It has gone viral for all the right reasons, amplifying both tension and emotion while giving Dhurandhar its pulse. The background score, in particular, heightens the drama and sustains the film’s momentum.

Despite its disturbing politics, Dhurandhar works as a fast-paced, high-octane thriller, one that leaves you conflicted, entertained and unsettled all at once. It's messy, but magnetic. And if the diktat of art is to provoke, then the first chapter of Dhurandhar has pulled off a clean hit job.