Dhurandhar debate: Emraan Hashmi throws weight behind Ranveer Singh blockbuster, slams critics ‘crap mentality’

Dubai: Emraan Hashmi, riding high after the success of The Ba**ds of Bollywood, is gearing up to lead Netflix’s upcoming series Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web. But it’s not his next role that’s making waves — it’s his spirited defence of Dhurandhar, a film he openly admits he hasn’t even seen.

In an interview with India Today, Hashmi was asked if the runaway success of a film like Dhurandhar ever stings. His response? A blunt critique of Bollywood’s “crap mentality.”

According to him, the industry loves tearing down films instead of celebrating them. “If something is doing well, everyone should be happy,” he said, “because it boosts the industry and keeps the cash flowing.”

Hashmi even praised the film’s marketing magic, marveling at packed theaters for a nearly three-and-a-half-hour spectacle, including midnight and early-morning shows. That he hasn’t actually watched the movie didn’t stop him from calling it “a great film” and applauding the audacity of releasing a two-part blockbuster that’s dominating the box office. In his view, commercial success is the ultimate defence — if audiences are buying tickets, who cares what critics think?

This logic fits Bollywood’s long-standing mantra: numbers silence dissent. But Dhurandhar isn’t just another box office smash. From the moment of its release, it’s been polarising — especially across the subcontinent.

Financially, the film is a powerhouse. It shattered records in India, became the highest-grossing Hindi film domestically, handed Akshaye Khanna a milestone worthy of Shah Rukh Khan, and reinforced Ranveer Singh as a reliable draw. No one can argue its commercial clout.

Politically and culturally, however, it’s a different story. Critics and audiences have called it thinly veiled propaganda wrapped in muscular espionage cinema. .

Even Bollywood peers have weighed in. Hrithik Roshan — whose career has thrived on patriotic spectacles like Fighter — publicly distanced himself from the film’s politics, saying he may respect the craft but not the messaging. That restraint made headlines, a rare move in an industry that usually sidesteps ideological debates over blockbusters.

At the end of the day, Dhurandhar proves one thing: in Bollywood, box office triumph often outweighs cultural scrutiny — even if the conversations it sparks are louder than the applause.