Dhurandhar is a ‘well-made film’, says Sudhir Mishra: ‘Aditya Dhar made the audience smell the place’

Ranveer Singh in a still from Dhurandhar.

Dhurandhar has been on an unprecedented box office rampage, amassing a staggering Rs 1,117.90 crore worldwide so far. On its fourth Thursday, the film crossed the Rs 15 crore mark, putting it firmly on track to surpass the lifetime collection of Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which stood at approximately Rs 1,160 crore.

While the film’s commercial success is undeniable, it has sharply divided public opinion. A section of audiences has embraced the film wholeheartedly and is eagerly awaiting its second instalment, slated for release in March. On the other hand, critics and viewers have labelled it a technically polished yet politically loaded movie. Then there are voices from within the industry—like Hrithik Roshan—who may disagree with the film’s ideological stance but have openly acknowledged its cinematic excellence.

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra recently echoed a similar sentiment. Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Mishra wrote: “We belong to the Indian film industry and we are all different. By the way, Dhurandhar is a well-made film. Aditya Dhar is extremely skilled. The acting is terrific. The most difficult thing in filmmaking is a director’s ability to make the audience ‘smell the place’, and Aditya Dhar, with the help of his brilliant cinematographer and production designer, manages to do just that. The casting, including the minor parts, is bang on. I am, of course, a filmmaker from another school.”

Mishra’s statement came in response to politician Sanjay Jha’s tweet questioning whether filmmakers have the “guts” to make a film on the Unnao victim. Responding firmly, Mishra wrote: “One of us has the guts. There is a film. You will see it soon. Also, please stop lumping us all under one brand called Bollywood.”

His reaction sparked mixed responses online. While several users praised his maturity and ability to separate craft from ideology, others disagreed with his assertion that Dhurandhar is a well-made film. One user wrote, “In the middle of this opportunistic political map, you’ve stood with the craft despite ideological differences. Hats off.”

Earlier, Hrithik Roshan had shared a similar nuanced take on the film. He wrote: “I love cinema, I love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control… DHURANDHAR is an example of that. I may disagree with the politics of it, but I can’t ignore how much I loved and learnt from it as a student of cinema.”

Days later, Hrithik reiterated his admiration, praising director Aditya Dhar and performances by Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan and Rakesh Bedi, while also applauding the film’s makeup and prosthetics department. “Still can’t get DHURANDHAR out of my mind… I can’t wait for part 2,” he wrote.

Dhurandhar is widely being viewed as Ranveer Singh’s return to form, reminiscent of his Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani era. It marks his first entry into the Rs 1,000 crore club and his first major commercial success since Gully Boy, barring Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

Also starring Akshaye Khanna, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Rakesh Bedi in pivotal roles, Dhurandhar is set to return with its sequel on March 19.