New Bollywood film divides opinions in India and Pakistan

A new Bollywood spy film has drawn praise and concern in India and Pakistan for its controversial depiction of long-running hostilities between the two South Asian neighbours.

“Dhurandhar”, which hit theaters last week, immerses viewers in an action-packed world of espionage, gang wars and patriotic fervor.

Anchored by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh’s stunning performance as Hamza, an Indian spy on a perilous mission in Karachi, Pakistan, the film follows his battles against criminal networks, shady agents and personal demons – all framed against the backdrop of Indo-Pakistani tensions.

While the action-packed scenes and intriguing plot won praise from many viewers, the film, directed by Aditya Dhar, also sparked intense debate over its political messages and treatment of historical events.

Dhar first gained national attention in 2019 with his debut Uri: The Surgical Strike, a dramatic depiction of the 2016 Indian air strikes on Pakistan. The film was a huge hit at the box office and won the National Film Award.

Although Dhurandar is only his second directorial effort, he has co-written and produced other films, including last year’s Article 370 – about the 2019 abrogation of Kashmir’s autonomy – which was a critical hit and a cult hit. He got praise From Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dhurandhar, arrives after months of worst Military clash between India and Pakistan Within two decades, it sees Dhar returning to the political thriller genre more broadly.

Mortal battles rage in cramped rooms, gunfire rings out through crowded alleyways, leaving a trail of bodies, and scenes of torture go on for an uncomfortably long time. The violence is graphic and filmed in tight, claustrophobic frames that heighten the feeling of discomfort.

Online, praise and criticism have flown in equal measure – some admired the film’s cinematic ambition and exhilarating plot, while others found its hyper-nationalistic tone and use of violence disturbing and inflammatory.

The controversy became so intense that some reviewers faced backlash, with Durandar’s supporters accusing them of judging the film by political bias rather than cinematic merit.

Film Critics Syndicate, an association of critics, Issue a statement This week we condemn “targeted attacks, harassment and hatred directed at film critics over their reviews of the film Dhurandhar”.

But despite the polarizing response, the film has attracted large audiences and has already become one of the biggest hits of the year.

This trend is not surprising. In recent years, Indian cinema There has been a boom in national blockbuster films Which openly refers to government policies and historical events.

Movies like Kashmir files and The story of Kerala It was a major commercial success despite generating heated debates about its historical accuracy and political messages.

Spy thrillers have also long featured prominently, often portraying Pakistan as the biggest threat to India – a familiar image rooted in decades of geopolitical tension between the two countries.

The makers of these films argue that they resonate with audiences because they address historical events and contemporary issues that mainstream commercial cinema often ignores – sensitive, polarizing topics that touch on societal identity, national memory, and contemporary politics.

“My films are not political, they are of human interest,” Sudipto Sen, director of The Kerala Story, told the BBC last year. The 2023 film claims to tell the “true story” of Hindu and Christian women who were lured into converting to Islam and joining ISIS.

But critics say such films, with their outright fabrication of key events, increasingly blur the line between entertainment and propaganda, flattening complex histories into oversimplified stories.

Film critic Uday Bhatia says Dhurandhar, which presents itself as a spy thriller with a consistently nationalistic tone, falls squarely within this expanding genre.

Even before its release, the film faced legal scrutiny after the family of a late army officer claimed that parts of the plot were based on his life without permission. Dhar denied this and the film was eventually approved by India’s Central Board of Film Certification as a work of fiction.

However, the film overtly weaves several real-life events and historical flashpoints into the story, including real news footage and audio recordings of the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 and the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

In fact, the story begins with a reference to the 1999 hijacking of an Indian airliner.

We see Indian intelligence chief Ajay Sanyal, played by R Madhavan, respond to the kidnapping by vowing to strike Pakistan on its own soil.

So, he sends his best man, Hamza, to destroy the alleged links between Karachi gangsters and terrorist networks, which, according to the film’s narrative, operate with the tacit support of the Pakistani government.

Dhar’s depiction of Karachi is grim: a sprawling, lawless city where kidnappings and torture are rampant and revenge killings between rival gangs unfold with unrelenting brutality.

Some critics criticized the mixing of real gang history with cinematic exaggeration. “The film portrays Pakistan as a lawless, almost barbaric, pathologically anti-Indian land,” says Bhatia. “It also depicts the cross-border conflict from a religious perspective.”

But others feel the filming was astonishingly on point. “The point at which Dhar makes the biggest shift is in his portrayal of Pakistan. It’s not a caricature, but it is surprisingly accurate, especially politically,” Vineeta Kumar wrote on India Today.

Not just in India, there have been mixed reactions to Durandar in Pakistan as well.

For decades, cultural exchanges were limited, and cinema was often the biggest victim. Pakistan banned Indian films in 2019, while India has repeatedly banned Pakistani films and music.

However, Bollywood is still very popular in Pakistan, and audiences often use VPNs or download movies illegally.

In the case of Durandhar, editorials – including Dawn – criticized its negative portrayal of Pakistan and lamented that local filmmakers often neglect their history, leaving Bollywood to interpret the story.

Critics have also pointed out factual inaccuracies, such as the depiction of Karachi’s Lyari gang – typically involved in extortion, kidnapping and drug trafficking – as being embroiled in cross-border tensions with India.

Creator Bilal Hussain, who grew up in Karachi, said he was surprised the gang was depicted at all, though he added that the film’s action, performances and music could still be appreciated despite the “hype”.

The strongest criticism came from the Pakistan People’s Party, which rules Sindh province, for the scene, which showed a fictional Pakistan People’s Party rally, complete with party flags and pictures of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007.

One party leader described the film as a “malicious smear” that sought to portray the PPP as sympathetic to militants.

Despite its inaccuracy, commentators say the film, like many before it, is unlikely to impact Bollywood’s popularity in Pakistan, which lacks a similar local film industry.

This sentiment is echoed to some extent in India as well, where many viewers dismiss the political controversy surrounding the film, saying they watched it merely for entertainment.

“At the end of the day, it’s a fantasy film and he can make up whatever he wants,” says Bhatia.

“But she clearly has a biased and selective view of the world, which she expertly reinforces.”