Popular YouTuber and political commentator Dhruv Rathi has sparked a fresh debate after releasing a detailed video criticising the blockbuster film Dhurandhar. Rathi in his video accused the movie of being a “false propaganda”, of violence and misleading the audience through lack of clarity between fantasy and reality.
Dhurandhar, an Aditya Dhar movie with Ranveer Singh, is no less than an Indian spy working in Pakistan. Although the film has been praised for its scale and storytelling and has become one of the most successful films in Indian cinema history at the box office, it has also come under fire for its political messages and presentations of violence.
‘Audience can’t distinguish fact from fiction’
Dhruv Rathi in his critique pointed out that the movie confuses people by intermingling real incidents and dramatic narratives. Furthermore, he noted that the viewers usually do not differentiate between the real and the make-believe characters, mainly if the plot comes around with a nationalistic flavor.
“People when such kinds of stories are told, mix real events with fiction, and drama in the cinema, take everything shown on the screen as truth,” he added. That is dangerous for how history and politics are understood,” Rathi said.
Criticism of glorifying criminals
Rathi also strongly objected to the portrayal of violent characters in the film, particularly the character of Rahman Dakait. He accused the film of romanticizing crime and criminals even in their style, aura, and great popularity.
“Rahman Dakait is depicted as a gangster partaking in killing, drug dealing, kidnapping, and robbing. Yet the film gives him stylish looks, viral dance moves and a heroic aura. Is this really the right way to portray such characters?” he questioned.
According to Rathi, such portrayals contribute to the normalisation of violence in mainstream cinema.
Allegations against director Aditya Dhar
In a direct attack on Aditya Dhar, Dhruv Rathi accused Dhurandhar of resorting to violence and nationalism for political propaganda purposes. He likened the movie’s atmosphere to that of brutal gangster dramas and contended that it re-enacted the same with a political motive.
“Art should serve people, not manipulate them. Films made with false propaganda may succeed today, but their long-term legacy will be questionable,” he said, while urging filmmakers to reflect on the social impact of their work.
Rathi also listed films such as Border, Sarfarosh, Swadesh, Chak De India, Neerja and Sam Bahadur as examples of what he considers “genuine patriotic cinema”.
Mixed reactions online
Dhruv Rathi’s video has sparked intense debates on different social media platforms. A few of the net users agreed with his opinions on propaganda and violence, but many others were against him and accused him of trying to bring a successful film down and not giving its global appreciation the credit it deserves.
A lot of users on the internet remarked that Dhurandhar was getting worldwide fame and that he was even doing good monetarily in the foreign markets. Others argued that labelling such films as propaganda could apply to many historical and patriotic movies.
Box office success continues
The film Dhurandhar, notwithstanding the debatable point raised, keeps its strong streak at the box office. The film’s total earnings thus far have gone over Rs 500 crore worldwide with Rs 33 crore being the reported amount for the 16th day collection.
The discussion regarding Dhurandhar is pointing at the continuing confrontation between artistic freedom, political interpretation, and audience’s responsibility— a conflict that will probably go on as the film’s fame increases.
