Piyush Mishra dismisses ‘propaganda’ tag on Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: It’s just a film

On March 28, Piyush Mishra attended the ongoing Delhi International Film Festival, where he spoke about Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise.

Actor Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar The Revenge is not just ruling the box office across India, but also dominating social media chatter and industry conversations. While the film’s popularity continues to soar, it has also courted controversy, with a section of viewers labelling it a “propaganda” vehicle. However, Piyush Mishra has now stepped in to shut down the narrative, dismissing the criticism and backing the film as “pure cinema.”

Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar franchise is led by Ranveer Singh.

Piyush Mishra supports Aditya Dhar film

On March 28, Piyush attended the ongoing Delhi International Film Festival, where he also interacted with the media. During the conversation, the actor spoke about Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise, coming out in its defence amid the growing criticism around the film, with some sections branding it as “propaganda.”

“There's a thin line between propaganda and cinema. For example, Dhurandhar. I loved that film. It has an amazing screenplay,” Piyush said in Hindi. The actor added, “That's actually what we call cinema. So I liked Dhurandhar very much. You can't say that it was a propaganda film. It's just a film."

Even as Dhurandhar The Revenge continues to enjoy largely positive reviews, the Ranveer Singh-starrer hasn’t been immune to controversy. The film’s political undertones have drawn criticism from certain quarters, with political commentator Dhruv Rathee taking a sharp dig at the sequel. He labelled it “brain rot,” adding that, unlike the first instalment, the follow-up “is not even well-made propaganda” anymore.

Even as it dominates conversations at the box office, the film has also sparked debate, with many viewers questioning whether the Dhurandhar franchise leans too heavily into a “propaganda” narrative.

A few days ago, actor Anupam Kher also took a sharp dig at a section of people who labelled the film as propaganda, stating that they should be ashamed of themselves.

In a video posted on his Instagram handle, Anupam said, "People who are saying it's about jingoism and that it is a propaganda film… I feel so sad for them. I feel pity for them. Initially, before I watched the film, I got angry because they tried to call The Kashmir Files a propaganda film…People who call it a propaganda film should be ashamed of themselves… Aapse bardash nahi hota toh, aap bhi aisi film bana lo (If you can't tolerate such a movie, go and make such a film)... Put some money and hire some writers.”

About Dhurandhar

The first film showed Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy who infiltrates gangs in Lyari to eliminate a terror network targeting India while also climbing the power ladder within Pakistan’s underworld.

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, the sequel delves into the origin story of Ranveer’s character, Hamza Ali Mazari, also known as Jaskirat Singh Rangi. It also continues the story from the first part, showing how the Indian spy completes his mission to dismantle the terror network in Pakistan that threatens India. The film also stars Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. It was released on March 19. The film has minted ₹778.77 crore in India till now. It is also performing well worldwide and has collected over ₹1100 crore at the box office.