Yesterday I watched the movie Dhurandhar to see what all the hype is about, and was moderately disappointed. The movie indulges in just enough dog whistling to gain brownie points on social media without being called a propaganda film, which is fine. You will have to pander to a certain audience for a movie to sell in India, so why not choose the biggest one?
But it also does the bare minimum in all the other aspects as well.
The Pakistan factor
Indian audiences have been especially drawn to India–Pakistan narratives since films like Border and Gadar. That is unlikely to change as long as Pakistan remains our geopolitical rival. But lately many movies are selling big with just that much to their credit.
We seem to have moved on from tragedies like the Delhi blasts far too quickly. Instead, we are now celebrating Ranveer’s on-screen infiltration of Pakistan—because defeating Pakistan in movies is far easier, and far more comforting, than asking uncomfortable questions.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t make such movies, but that shouldn’t be the only thing they are selling. Bhag Milkha Bhag, Raazi, The Gazi Attack and even Uri: The Surgical Strike are some of the best movies about this conflict, but they also have good storytelling and some solid acting on their side.
Over-explained, Underwhelming
From the first scene to the last, the director refuses to leave anything to the imagination. The film’s constant need to spell out every detail—from the protagonist’s motivations to the most obvious plot twists—reveals a troubling assumption that the audience can’t grasp the depth of a story without every breadcrumb laid out for them.
The story, “loosely” based on true events, could have been a good one, if the director had taken efforts in writing the characters with more depth instead of relying on the hero’s machismo. Characters like Rehman Dakait could have been explored far more deeply—especially given the interesting and terrible life he has lived—if the film hadn’t felt the need to insert a love story, songs, and all that jazz.
Underrated actor
Initially I was confused as to why Akshaye Khanna was praised so much for playing Rehman Dakait. Although he has played his part fairly well—he is a good actor— we noticed him more because of how mediocre all the other performances are. Even Ranveer, (whom I really appreciated in Gully Boy) ,doesn’t seem to have made any specific efforts to portray his character in terms of voice or speech, apart from building a great physique.
It’s a hit
The movie is obviously a commercial success. In the current environment using dialogues like “Yeh naya India hai..” and “Bleed by thousand cuts..” sure does rile up the audience. Also as Indians we love to see Pakistan losing, be it on a cricket field or in a movie, so I am sure the second part will also be a hit.
What that says about our maturity as an audience is another question—one that the industry has little incentive to ask as long as such films keep making money.
Be First to Comment