Swara Bhasker’s mother, Ira Bhaskar, criticises Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, reason is…

Months after its release, the blockbuster spy thriller Dhurandhar continues to spark conversations beyond the box office. Starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, the film turned into one of the biggest commercial successes in recent Hindi cinema. However, its political undertones and portrayal of certain communities have also drawn criticism.

Adding to the debate, film scholar Ira Bhaskar, who is also the mother of actor Swara Bhasker, recently voiced strong concerns about the film's ideological messaging. Speaking on a YouTube episode of Karwan e Mohabbat, she argued that while the film may be technically accomplished, its storytelling raises important questions about representation and narrative bias in mainstream cinema.

Here's what Ira Bhaskar said:

During the conversation, Ira pointed to Dhurandhar as an example of how filmmaking techniques can sometimes be used to reinforce certain ideological viewpoints. "There are filmmakers, for instance, let me give the example of the Dhurandhar, which is earning crores at the box office This is an example of a film made by a filmmaker who is ideologically convinced by Hindutva and the ideology of Hindutva. A competent filmmaker and a very well-made film. But how is technique to be divorced from content?" she said.

She argued that a film's technical brilliance should not prevent audiences from critically examining the ideas it promotes.

Watch the video here:

Ira Bhaskar raises concerns over the portrayal of Muslims

Ira also described the film as extremely violent and criticised how it depicts Muslims and Pakistan in the narrative.

"It's extremely violent. And its violence is at the service of a belief structure of an ideology that Muslims are very violent people. Pakistan is a very violent nation. You don't see any normal Muslim (person) there. Everyone is a terrorist or a gangster. These kinds of perceptions about Muslims It's propagating this. It is being reproduced again and again," she said.

She further argued that films inspired by real events often present a selective version of history. According to her, storytellers sometimes choose specific incidents or portrayals that align with a particular narrative, leaving out other perspectives.

Dhurandhar sparked debate despite massive box office success

When Dhurandhar was released in December last year, it quickly turned into a box office juggernaut and eventually became the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. Yet, alongside the praise, the film also faced criticism online, with some viewers calling it a "propaganda film."

At the same time, several prominent voices from the film industry came out in its defence. Filmmaker Karan Johar said the film's political themes did not bother him and that he admired it as a cinematic achievement. Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha also rejected claims that the film was propaganda, describing it as an "absolute masterpiece."

Meanwhile, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap dismissed the debate by arguing that labelling films as propaganda can itself become a form of propaganda. Comparing the situation to Hollywood blockbusters, he said that even films from the Marvel Studios universe promote ideas of American supremacy, yet audiences rarely criticise them from that perspective.

About Dhurandhar

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a spy action thriller that forms the first part of a planned two-film series. The story follows an Indian intelligence agent navigating the dangerous criminal and political underworld of Karachi.

The narrative draws inspiration from several real-world geopolitical events, including the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Released on December 5, the film went on to collect over Rs 1300 crore worldwide, becoming the first Bollywood film to cross Rs 1000 crore at the domestic box office. Its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is scheduled to hit theatres on March 19.