Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar” duology has emerged as a pivotal turning point for Hindi cinema, signalling a significant change in Bollywood’s narrative priorities and political leanings. The opening film, released in December 2025, proved to be the biggest box office success in India before being split into two parts throughout the editing process. Now, with the follow-up “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” presently commanding cinemas nationwide, the intelligence-based narrative is positioned to establish what many observers regard as a troubling shift in Indian mainstream film: the wholesale embrace of jingoistic narratives that openly seek government favour and exploit national pride. The films’ brazen conflation of entertainment and state propaganda has reignited discussions concerning Bollywood’s connections with political influence, particularly under Narendra Modi’s administration.
From Spy Thriller to Political Manifesto
The storytelling framework of the “Dhurandhar” duology reveals a calculated progression from escapism to political messaging. The first film deliberately positioned before Modi’s 2014 electoral triumph, sets up its ideological framework through characters who repeatedly voice their desperation for a leader willing to take decisive action against both external and internal dangers. This strategic timing enables the story to frame Modi’s later ascent to leadership as the solution for the nation’s prayers, transforming what appears to be a conventional spy thriller into an elaborate endorsement of the administration’s approach to national security and military aggression.
The sequel heightens this promotional agenda by featuring Modi himself as an near-constant supporting character through carefully positioned news footage and government broadcasts. Rather than enabling the fictional narrative to exist separately, the filmmakers have woven the Prime Minister’s actual image and rhetoric throughout the story, significantly erasing the boundaries between entertainment and government messaging. This deliberate narrative choice distinguishes the “Dhurandhar” films from previous instances of Bollywood’s political alignment, raising them from understated ideological messaging to direct state promotion that transforms cinema into a instrument for political credibility.
- First film prays for a strong leader ahead of Modi’s election victory
- Sequel features Modi in a supporting character through news clips
- Narrative conflates fictional heroism alongside government policy approval
- Films blur the distinction between entertainment and also state propaganda by design
The Evolution of Bollywood’s Ideological Shift
The box office performance of the “Dhurandhar” duology indicates a profound transformation in Bollywood’s connection to nationalist thought and state power. Whilst the Indian cinema sector has traditionally upheld strong connections to political structures, the brazen nature of these films constitutes a qualitative shift in how directly cinema now channels state communications. The franchise’s box office dominance—with the opening film emerging as the top-earning Hindi film in India following its December launch—demonstrates that audiences are increasingly receptive to entertainment that seamlessly integrates political propaganda. This receptiveness indicates a basic shift in what Indian viewers regard as acceptable cinematic content, moving beyond the understated ideological framing of prior cinema towards direct governmental promotion.
The implications of this change extend beyond simple commercial performance. By achieving remarkable box office gains whilst explicitly merging fictional heroism with political agenda, the “Dhurandhar” films have successfully established a novel framework for Indian film production. Next-generation filmmakers now possess a established model for combining patriotic feeling with financial gains, conceivably fostering propagandistic cinema as a enduring and profitable category. This development reflects wider social changes within India, where the dividing lines separating cinema, patriotism, and official discourse have become increasingly porous, raising significant inquiries about cinema’s role in forming political consciousness and sense of nationhood.
A Pattern of Patriotic Cinema
The “Dhurandhar” duology does not emerge in a vacuum but rather represents the culmination of a expanding movement within modern Indian film. The past few years have witnessed a proliferation of films employing nationalist rhetoric and anti-Muslim framing, including “The Kashmir Files,” “The Kerala Story,” and “The Taj Story.” These productions possess a common ideological framework that recasts Indian history through a Hindu-centred perspective whilst depicting 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 sheen of artistic credibility that more crude anti-Muslim productions do not possess.
This distinction proves especially concerning because the “Dhurandhar” duology’s cinematic craft and entertainment value conceal its essentially propagandist nature. Where films like “The Kashmir Files” operate as blunt political instruments, the “Dhurandhar” series employs cinematic craft to make its political messaging palatable to mainstream audiences. The franchise thus constitutes a dangerous evolution: propaganda elevated through sophisticated production into something approaching government-endorsed filmmaking. This refined method to nationalist messaging may prove more influential in influencing audience views than explicitly divisive films, as audiences may embrace ideological content when it arrives wrapped in compelling entertainment.
Filmmaking Artistry Versus Political Messaging
The “Dhurandhar” duology’s most troubling quality lies in its combination of cinematic mastery with ideological extremism. Director Aditya Dhar displays considerable mastery of the thriller genre, crafting sequences of raw power and narrative momentum that enthrall audiences. This filmmaking skill becomes concerning precisely because it functions as a vehicle for nationalist propaganda, reshaping what might otherwise be crude political messaging into something significantly compelling and influential. The films’ polished aesthetic, skilled camera work, and compelling performances by actors like Ranveer Singh provide plausibility to their inherently polarizing narratives, turning their political message more palatable to wider audiences who might otherwise spurn blatantly incendiary messaging.
This combination of creative excellence and ideological messaging creates a unique challenge for film criticism and cultural commentary. Audiences frequently struggle to distinguish between aesthetic appreciation from political analysis, particularly when entertainment appeal proves genuinely compelling. The “Dhurandhar” films exploit this conflict deliberately, banking on the notion that audiences engaged with exciting action scenes will internalise their embedded messaging without critical resistance. The risk intensifies because the films’ technical achievements grant them legitimacy within critical conversation, enabling their nationalist ideology to circulate more widely and shape public opinion more effectively than earlier, more simplistic examples 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 |
- Professional quality turns propagandistic content into mainstream entertainment
- Sophisticated filmmaking obscures ideological messaging from close examination
- Filmmaking skill raises patriotic messaging above blunt inflammatory language
The Concerning Ramifications for Indian Cinema
The box office and critical success of the “Dhurandhar” duology signals a worrying trajectory for Indian cinema, one in which nationalistic sentiment increasingly determines box office performance and cultural importance. Where once Bollywood operated as a forum for multiple perspectives and alternative standpoints, the emergence of these jingoistic thrillers suggests a narrowing of acceptable discourse. The films’ unprecedented success indicates that audiences are increasingly receptive to entertainment that openly champions state power and frames disagreement as treachery. This shift mirrors increased public polarization, yet cinema’s distinctive ability to shape collective imagination means its political orientation carry particular weight in affecting political attitudes and political attitudes.
The implications go further than mere viewing habits. When a nation’s cinema sector consistently produces narratives that celebrate state power and demonise external enemies, it risks calcifying collective views and restricting critical engagement with intricate international political dynamics. The “Dhurandhar” films illustrate this danger by portraying their perspective not as one perspective among many, but as factual reality wrapped in production quality and star power. For critics and media analysts, this marks a pivotal turning point: Indian cinema’s transition from occasionally accommodating state interests to deliberately operating as a propaganda machine, albeit one far more sophisticated than its historical predecessors.
Propaganda Dressed up as Entertainment
The troubling nature of the “Dhurandhar” duology stems from its deliberate obfuscation of political messaging beneath layers of cinematic craft. Director Aditya Dhar constructs intricate action set-pieces and character arcs that capture audience attention, effectively distracting from the films’ relentless promotion of nationalist ideology and uncritical belief in state institutions. The protagonist’s journey, purportedly a personal quest for redemption, functions simultaneously as a celebration of governmental power and military might. By weaving propagandistic content throughout engaging narratives, the films accomplish what cruder political messaging cannot: they reshape ideology into spectacle, turning audiences complicit in their own ideological conditioning whilst considering themselves simply entertained.
This strategy shows particularly compelling because it operates beneath deliberate notice. Viewers engrossed by exhilarating action sequences and emotional character moments absorb the films’ core themes—that forceful state intervention is required, that adversaries lack redemption, that self-sacrifice for state interests is honourable—without acknowledging the manipulation taking place. The polished camera work, powerful acting, and authentic craftsmanship lend credibility to these accounts, making them appear less like ideological material and more like genuine narrative. This veneer of legitimacy allows the films’ polarising worldview to infiltrate general understanding far more successfully than explicitly provocative content ever could.
What This Signifies for Global Audiences
The international success of the “Dhurandhar” duology presents a troubling precedent for how state-aligned cinema can cross geographic borders and cultural differences. As streaming platforms like Netflix distribute these films globally, audiences in Western nations and elsewhere encounter advanced propagandistic content wrapped in the familiar language of espionage thrillers and action cinema. Without the cultural and political literacy needed to interpret the films’ nationalist messaging, overseas audiences may unknowingly absorb and validate Indian state ideology, effectively extending the reach of propagandistic narratives far beyond their intended domestic audience. This globalisation of politically sensitive material poses critical concerns about platform responsibility and the moral dimensions of distributing state-backed films to unsuspecting international audiences.
Furthermore, the “Dhurandhar” films set a disquieting template that rival states may seek to emulate. If government-backed film can attain both critical recognition and financial returns whilst promoting nationalist agendas, rival administrations—particularly those with authoritarian leanings—may recognise cinema as a uniquely powerful tool for the spread of ideology. The films show that propaganda need not be crude or obvious to be effective; rather, when combined with genuine artistic talent and significant funding, it becomes almost inescapable. For worldwide audiences and movie reviewers, the duology’s success signals a troubling outlook where entertainment and government messaging become increasingly indistinguishable.
