Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” duology has become a pivotal turning point for Hindi cinema, marking a pronounced transformation in Bollywood’s subject matter focus and ideological positions. The initial chapter, launched in December 2025, proved to be the highest-grossing Hindi-language film in India before being split into two parts in the post-production phase. Now, with the second instalment “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” actively dominating cinemas throughout the nation, the spy saga is set to solidify what numerous critics view as a worrying change in Indian commercial cinema: the wholesale embrace of nationalist-leaning stories that explicitly court government favour and leverage nationalist sentiment. The films’ unabashed fusion of entertainment and governmental messaging has rekindled discussions concerning Bollywood’s relationship with political power, especially during PM Narendra Modi’s administration.
From Spy Thriller to Political Declaration
The storytelling framework of the “Dhurandhar” duology reveals a calculated progression from escapism to political messaging. The opening instalment strategically set before Modi’s 2014 electoral triumph, sets up its ideological framework through characters who repeatedly voice their desperation for a figure prepared to pursue decisive action against both external and internal dangers. This temporal positioning enables the story to present Modi’s later ascent to leadership as the solution for the country’s aspirations, converting what appears to be a conventional spy thriller into an elaborate endorsement of the administration’s stance on national security and armed action.
The sequel heightens this propagandistic impulse by presenting Modi himself as an virtually ever-present supporting character through strategically placed news footage and government broadcasts. Rather than permitting the fictional narrative to operate on its own, the filmmakers have threaded the Prime Minister’s actual image and rhetoric throughout the story, significantly erasing the boundaries between entertainment and state communication. This intentional storytelling decision distinguishes the “Dhurandhar” films from prior cases of Bollywood’s political positioning, advancing them from subtle ideological positioning to overt political backing that transforms cinema into a instrument for political credibility.
- First film appeals for a strong leader ahead of Modi’s electoral triumph
- Sequel features Modi as a supporting character via news clips
- Narrative blends fictional heroism alongside government policy endorsement
- Films erase the distinction between entertainment and also state propaganda by design
The Transformation of Bollywood’s Philosophical Change
The box office performance of the “Dhurandhar” duology signals a profound transformation in Bollywood’s connection to nationalist ideology and state power. Whilst the Indian film industry has traditionally upheld strong connections to political structures, the explicit character of these films constitutes a qualitative shift in how directly cinema now channels governmental messaging. The franchise’s box office dominance—with the opening film becoming the top-earning Hindi film in India upon its December release—shows that audiences are increasingly receptive to entertainment that seamlessly integrates political propaganda. This receptiveness indicates a basic shift in what Indian audiences consider acceptable cinematic content, progressing past the subtle ideological positioning of earlier films toward explicit state advocacy.
The ramifications of this shift extend beyond simple commercial performance. By achieving unprecedented commercial success whilst directly blending fictional heroism with state policy, the “Dhurandhar” films have effectively legitimised a new template for Bollywood production. Next-generation filmmakers now have access to a proven blueprint for combining patriotic feeling with financial gains, potentially establishing state-aligned filmmaking as a viable and lucrative category. This evolution demonstrates wider social changes within India, where the dividing lines separating entertainment, nationalism, and state messaging have become increasingly porous, prompting critical questions about the cinema’s influence in shaping public awareness of politics and national identity.
A Pattern of National Cinema
The “Dhurandhar” duology does not appear in a vacuum but rather represents the culmination of a growing trend within contemporary Indian cinema. Recent years have seen a proliferation of films employing nationalist rhetoric and anti-Muslim narratives, including “The Kashmir Files,” “The Kerala Story,” and “The Taj Story.” These films possess a shared ideological structure that recasts Indian history through a Hindu-centric lens whilst portraying Muslims as existential threats. However, what sets apart the “Dhurandhar” films from these predecessors is their better filmmaking craft and production quality, which lend their propaganda a veneer of artistic legitimacy that more crude anti-Muslim productions lack.
This differentiation proves especially concerning because the “Dhurandhar” two-film series’ cinematic craft and entertainment value conceal its fundamentally propagandistic nature. Where films like “The Kashmir Files” serve as crude ideological instruments, the “Dhurandhar” series deploys cinematic craft to render its political messaging appealing to general viewers. The franchise thus constitutes a concerning development: propaganda elevated through expert direction into what resembles state-sanctioned cinema. This sophisticated approach to political narrative may become increasingly impactful in influencing audience views than overtly provocative films, as audiences may accept propagandistic material when it comes packaged in engaging storytelling.
Filmmaking Artistry Versus Political Narratives
The “Dhurandhar” duology’s most insidious quality lies in its combination of production sophistication with nationalist ideology. Director Aditya Dhar demonstrates considerable mastery of the thriller genre, constructing sequences of raw power and storytelling drive that captivate audiences. This technical competence becomes contentious precisely because it functions as a medium for ideological messaging, converting what might otherwise be blunt political content into something considerably alluring and convincing. The films’ refined visual presentation, accomplished visual composition, and powerful acting by actors like Ranveer Singh provide plausibility to their deeply divisive narratives, turning their ideological messaging more palatable to general audiences who might otherwise dismiss overtly inflammatory material.
This intersection of creative excellence and ideological messaging establishes a unique challenge for film criticism and cultural analysis. Audiences frequently struggle to distinguish between artistic enjoyment from political analysis, particularly when entertainment value demonstrates genuine appeal. The “Dhurandhar” films exploit this tension intentionally, banking on the notion that viewers absorbed in exciting action scenes will absorb their underlying messages without critical scrutiny. The danger grows because the films’ technical achievements grant them legitimacy within critical conversation, allowing their nationalist ideals to circulate more widely and influence public consciousness more successfully than cruder predecessors ever could.
| Film | Narrative Strength |
|---|---|
| Dhurandhar | Espionage intrigue with compelling character development and moral ambiguity |
| Dhurandhar: The Revenge | Political thriller capitalising on nationalist sentiment and state apparatus mythology |
| The Kashmir Files | Historical narrative lacking cinematic sophistication or narrative complexity |
- Technical excellence transforms propagandistic content into popular media
- Advanced cinematography masks political messaging from close examination
- Filmmaking skill elevates nationalist rhetoric above blunt inflammatory language
The Concerning Implications for Indian Cinema
The box office and critical success of the “Dhurandhar” duology signals a concerning trajectory for Indian cinema, one in which nationalistic sentiment grows to influence box office performance and cultural importance. Where once Bollywood functioned as a forum for varied storytelling and alternative standpoints, the emergence of these patriotic suspense films suggests a contraction in acceptable discourse. The films’ remarkable achievement indicates that audiences are growing more accepting of entertainment that explicitly validates state power and frames disagreement as treachery. This shift mirrors broader societal polarisation, yet cinema’s particular power to shape public imagination means its ideological leanings carry significant influence in shaping popular opinion and political attitudes.
The ramifications go further than simple viewing habits. When a nation’s cinema sector consistently produces stories that glorify government authority and vilify external enemies, it risks calcifying collective views and restricting meaningful dialogue with complex international political dynamics. The “Dhurandhar” films illustrate this threat by presenting their perspective not as one perspective among many, but as objective truth wrapped in technical excellence and star power. For commentators and cultural observers, this represents a pivotal turning point: Indian film industry’s shift from sometimes serving state interests to actively functioning as a propaganda machine, albeit one far more sophisticated than its earlier incarnations.
Propaganda Presented as Entertainment
The pernicious nature of the “Dhurandhar” duology stems from its intentional concealment of political messaging under layers of cinematic craft. Director Aditya Dhar develops complex action scenes and character arcs that demand viewer engagement, deftly deflecting from the films’ constant endorsement of nationalist ideology and uncritical belief in state institutions. The protagonist’s journey, nominally a personal quest for redemption, works at once as a glorification of governmental power and military might. By embedding propagandistic content inside compelling stories, the films achieve what cruder political messaging cannot: they reshape ideology into spectacle, turning audiences complicit in their own ideological conditioning whilst believing themselves merely entertained.
This strategy proves particularly compelling because it operates beneath deliberate notice. Viewers captivated by thrilling set pieces and poignant character development take in the films’ core themes—that forceful state intervention is necessary, that enemies are irredeemable, that personal sacrifice for state interests is honourable—without recognising the manipulation at work. The polished camera work, compelling performances, and genuine technical accomplishment lend credibility to these accounts, allowing them to look less like ideological material and more like true storytelling. This veneer of legitimacy permits the films’ divisive ideology to reach popular awareness far more successfully than explicitly provocative content ever would.
What This Means for Worldwide Audiences
The international popularity of the “Dhurandhar” duology raises a troubling pattern for how state-aligned cinema can cross geographical boundaries and cultural differences. As streaming services like Netflix release these films worldwide, audiences in Western nations and elsewhere encounter sophisticated propaganda wrapped in the familiar language of espionage thrillers and action cinema. Without the cultural and political literacy needed to interpret the films’ nationalist rhetoric, international viewers may unknowingly consume and legitimise Indian state-sponsored ideology, effectively extending the reach of propagandistic narratives far outside their original domestic viewership. This worldwide distribution of politically sensitive material raises urgent questions about platform accountability and the ethical implications of distributing state-backed films to unaware overseas viewers.
Furthermore, the “Dhurandhar” films establish a troubling template that other countries could try to emulate. If government-backed film can achieve both critical acclaim and box office success whilst advancing nationalist agendas, other governments—particularly those with authoritarian leanings—may acknowledge cinema as a exceptionally influential tool for ideological propagation. The films illustrate that propaganda need not be crude or obvious to be effective; rather, when combined with genuine artistic talent and significant funding, it becomes virtually unavoidable. For global audiences and movie reviewers, the duology’s success suggests a worrying prospect where entertainment and government messaging become increasingly indistinguishable.
