Dhurandhar is a ‘sinister film’, says Dhadak 2 director Shazia Iqbal: ‘Inciting hate and violence is in its DNA’

Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal criticised industry indifference towards the impact of films on minorities, calling Dhurandhar 'sinister' for inciting hate.

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar earned widespread acclaim from audiences and industry insiders alike, but also drew criticism for its political undertones. While several filmmakers and actors have praised the spy thriller for its scale and craft, Dhadak 2 director Shazia Iqbal has strongly criticised the film, calling it “sinister” and accusing it of inciting hate and violence.

Dhadak 2 director Shazia Iqbal criticises Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar.

Dhadak 2 director Shazia Iqbal criticises Dhurandhar

After a successful theatrical run, Dhurandhar was released on Netflix on January 30. On Sunday, Shazia took to her Instagram Stories to share her strong reaction to the film. The filmmaker didn't name the film but added the film's title track in the background and wrote, “What a sinister film! It’s not hidden, it’s not unintentional — inciting hate and violence is in the DNA of the film.”

Shazia Iqbal slams portrayal of minorities in Dhurandhar.

Shazia Iqbal calls Dhurandhar a sinister film.

She further criticised industry insiders for what she described as indifference towards the impact of such films on minority communities. “But it’s a ‘well-made’ film, guys… with some cool BGM. Well done, industry dude bros. Glad that most of y’all don’t care about minorities enough to even hide your blatant apathy,” she added. This post was set to Fa9la, another chartbuster from the film.

While Dhurandhar has received significant praise, several viewers have also labelled it a propaganda film. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who praised the film's craft, previously revealed that he did not agree with certain ideologies presented in it. Actor Hrithik Roshan echoed similar sentiments in his review, writing, “I may disagree with the politics of it and argue about the responsibilities we filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world. Nevertheless, I can’t ignore how much I loved and learnt from this one as a student of cinema. Amazing.”

About Dhurandhar

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a spy thriller that stars Ranveer Singh as an Indian agent who infiltrates criminal syndicates in Pakistan’s Lyari to dismantle a growing terror network. The film also features Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles.

The film opened to a bumper response at the box office and went on to emerge as an all-time blockbuster, collecting over ₹1,300 crore worldwide. It also became the first Bollywood film to cross the ₹1,000 crore mark at the domestic box office.

Fans are now eagerly awaiting Dhurandhar 2, which is slated for a theatrical release on March 19. The film will clash at the box office with Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.