A large-scale Indian spy thriller is gaining momentum on Netflix worldwide. Dhurandhar didn’t take long to make noise on the platform. Within days of its release, the Hindi-language action drama broke into the Global Top 10, climbing quickly as viewers around the world tuned in – and as debate around its subject matter began to follow. It even surged to No. 1 in Pakistan at the time of writing, adding to its rapid global visibility.
Led by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, the film plays like a full-scale event release, with a sprawling runtime and a story that plunges headfirst into espionage, violence, and sensitive geopolitical fault lines. Here is everything to know about Dhurandhar – from the story and cast to the controversy shaping its global reception. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
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Dhurandhar: all the key details
- Original title: Dhurandhar
- Format: Film
- Runtime: 3h 25m
- Genre: Spy thriller, action drama
- Country of origin: India
- Original language: Hindi
- Director: Aditya Dhar
- Lead cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal
- Release date on Netflix: January 30, 2026
- Platform: Netflix
What Dhurandhar is about
Set in the early 2000s, Dhurandhar follows Hamza, an undercover Indian operative sent deep into the criminal underworld of Karachi. Operating under a carefully constructed identity, he infiltrates violent networks tied to gang warfare, intelligence operations, and cross-border power struggles.
As Hamza rises through the ranks, the mission becomes increasingly perilous. The film traces his battles against criminal syndicates, shadowy operatives, and his own psychological limits, framing the story against decades of tension between India and Pakistan. Violence is frequent and graphic, staged in confined spaces that emphasize pressure and moral erosion rather than spectacle alone.
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Main cast and characters
Ranveer Singh leads the film as Hamza, delivering a performance built on control and physical intensity rather than flamboyance. Known internationally for Gully Boy (2019) and Padmaavat (2018), Singh plays the character as a man gradually consumed by the role he inhabits. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2019 for Gully Boy.
Sanjay Dutt, whose past roles include Vaastav (1999) and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), portrays a powerful figure within the criminal ecosystem Hamza must navigate. Dutt received the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2000 for Vaastav.
Akshaye Khanna, acclaimed for Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Drishyam 2 (2022), plays a strategist operating between intelligence and crime, embodying ambiguity and calculation. R. Madhavan, known for 3 Idiots (2009) and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022), appears as India’s intelligence chief Ajay Sanyal, a role that anchors the film’s institutional and political stakes. Madhavan won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 2023 for Rocketry.
Completing the ensemble is Arjun Rampal, winner of the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Rock On!! (2008), who plays a volatile enforcer whose shifting loyalties heighten the film’s sense of instability.
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Who directed Dhurandhar
Aditya Dhar first gained national prominence with Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), a dramatization of India’s 2016 airstrikes on Pakistan that became a major box-office success. The film earned Dhar the National Film Award for Best Director, establishing his reputation for politically charged, high-stakes storytelling.
Though Dhurandhar is only his second directorial feature, Dhar has also co-written and produced films such as Article 370 (2024), another politically focused thriller. With Dhurandhar, he returns to the espionage genre on a larger canvas, combining graphic violence, real historical references, and sustained narrative intensity.
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The controversy surrounding Dhurandhar
International coverage has framed Dhurandhar as a deeply polarizing release. The BBC described the film as dividing opinion in both India and Pakistan, praising its cinematic ambition and action while highlighting unease around its political messaging and portrayal of historical events.
The report notes that the film weaves real-life flashpoints into its narrative, including references to the 1999 hijacking of an Indian passenger plane, the 2001 Indian parliament attack, and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Critics have questioned whether the blending of factual material with heightened dramatization risks flattening complex history into simplified narrative conflict.
Debate has also intensified online, with critics reporting backlash and accusations of political bias. India’s Film Critics’ Guild issued a statement condemning harassment directed at reviewers.
What reviews say about Dhurandhar
According to the BBC, reactions to Dhurandhar have been sharply divided (A new Bollywood film is dividing opinions in India and Pakistan), situating the movie within a broader wave of Indian nationalist blockbusters that have achieved commercial success despite intense debate, noting that such films continue to attract large audiences while blurring the line between entertainment and political commentary.
Many viewers and commentators have praised the film’s scale, action design, and sustained intensity, as well as Ranveer Singh’s central performance. Others have expressed discomfort with its hyper-nationalist tone, graphic violence, and the use of real historical imagery.
Why Dhurandhar is worth watching
For viewers interested in Bollywood beyond romance and musical spectacle, Dhurandhar represents a strand of contemporary Indian cinema focused on espionage, political tension, and high-stakes conflict. The film aligns with a growing wave of Bollywood action dramas that favor scale, seriousness, and nationalist framing over traditional song-driven storytelling. For viewers interested in serious, politically charged spy thrillers, Dhurandhar offers an ambitious and uncompromising experience.
Its rise into Netflix’s Global Top 10 suggests that audiences are engaging not only with its action and performances, but also with the debate surrounding its framing of history and conflict. If you enjoy espionage dramas that operate on a large scale and are unafraid of controversy, this film stands out within Netflix’s current global lineup.
Release date and where to watch on streaming
Dhurandhar is streaming now on Netflix. It was released globally on 30 January, and is currently in the Global Top 10, with momentum still building.
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Watch the trailer
Here’s the trailer to get a first look.
