Madhur Bhandarkar reviews Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar; calls it 'explosive' and praises Akshaye Khanna’s 'masterclass' performance

Madhur Bhandarkar reviews Ranveer Singh Dhurandhar

Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal, continues its victorious run at the box office. After earning glowing reviews from fans and celebrities alike, the film has now received high praise from National Award–winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

On Sunday, Madhur Bhandarkar took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his reaction to the film, calling it an “explosive, thrilling ride” that kept him hooked throughout. He wrote, “Watched #Dhurandhar, and what an explosive, thrilling ride it was! It’s a tense, gripping spy thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. After a long time in a film, all the actors looked like the characters they portrayed, bringing realism and authenticity to their roles.”

Watched #Dhurandhar, and what an explosive, thrilling ride it was! It’s a tense, gripping spy thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. After a long time in a film, all the actors looked like the characters they portrayed, bringing realism and authenticity…

— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) December 7, 2025

Madhur Bhandarkar lauded Ranveer Singh’s intense transformation as Hamza, describing him as “feral, electrifying, and brilliant.” He also praised Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sara Arjun for delivering compelling performances. He expressed surprise at Rakesh Bedi’s dark turn, calling him a “revelation” in his menacing political avatar.

However, it was Akshaye Khanna who impressed him the most. Madhur added, “But Akshaye Khanna, OMG, totally steals the show as the menacing, formidable crime lord; pure masterclass acting! Hats off to filmmaker @AdityaDharFilms for making this ambitious film with so much passion & depth. Big congratulations to the entire team.”

Dhurandhar opened impressively with Rs 27 crore on Day 1 in India. The positive word of mouth pushed occupancies higher on Day 2—from 15% to 18% in morning shows and from 28% to 35% in afternoon slots. According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 31 crore on Saturday, taking its two-day total to Rs 58 crore net domestically.

The film follows Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal (R Madhavan) as he spearheads a mission to dismantle a terror outfit operating in Pakistan. Ranveer Singh plays a Punjabi prisoner recruited and trained to infiltrate Karachi’s criminal network. The ensemble cast includes Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, and Madhavan.

Also Read: Dhurandhar actress Sara Arjun’s father pens a heartfelt note; says, I reached my destination because of her'

Released on December 5, Dhurandhar has already announced its sequel. Dhurandhar 2 is slated to hit theatres on March 19, 2026, where it will clash with Yash’s much-anticipated Toxic.