Dhurandhar is unlike any other spy or Pakistan-based film. It tells a very fascinating film of a man on a mission. Several moments are memorable are deftly executed while the characters are well fleshed out. The real-life references add to the intrigue value while the performances are stellar, without doubt. On the flipside, the biggest issue with the film is the run time of 214 minutes. Though the film never becomes boring, the interest drops in many scenes. Moreover, the interval arrives after 124 minutes. Everyone in my screen ran to the washroom to relieve themselves, which shows that they must have struggled to control their bladder and that they must have desperately waited for the interval. Hence, their attention was not completely be on the film and that’s not a good sign. As a result, the makers should have placed the interval at mid-point and ideally, the length of the film should have been less than 3 hours. The other problem with the film is the romantic track; it is weak and unconvincing. Thankfully, the performances save the day. This is easily one of the greatest performances by Ranveer Singh. Akshaye Khanna has a crucial role and he rocks the show. The way he lets his expressions and eyes do the talking are seen to be believed. Sanjay Dutt is entertaining, Arjun Rampal oozes terror while R Madhavan is terrific. Sara Arjun makes a stunning debut as a leading lady. Rakesh Bedi and Gaurav Gera (Aalam) are dependable. Danish Pandor (Uzair) and Naveen Kaushik (Donga) are memorable. Manav Gohil (Sushant Bansal), Saumya Tandon (Rehman’s wife) and others are decent. All in all, Dhurandhar is worth watching but suffers due to the length.
My rating – *** out of 5!