Renowned filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has joined the chorus of praise for the blockbuster spy thriller Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh. In a detailed social media post, Agnihotri expressed that the film left him "mind blown and proud," applauding Dhar for significantly raising the bar for Indian cinema.
A Director's Vision Realised
Returning to India after two months, Agnihotri revealed that watching Dhurandhar was his first priority. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his effusive review, emphasizing the deliberate craft behind the film's success. "Anyone who knows what goes into making a film would understand what it takes to pull something like this off," he wrote. Agnihotri highlighted the director's unwavering vision, writing, and confidence, stating unequivocally that "this kind of cinema doesn't happen by chance."
Praise for Technical Brilliance and Cohesive Craft
Agnihotri didn't just praise the director; he specifically commended key technicians for their groundbreaking work. He hailed the production design by Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray as "pathbreaking, not decorative, but narrative." The music by Shashwat Sachdev was described as "not just innovative but deeply rooted," while the cinematography by Vikas Nowlakha was called "a new textbook for young DOPs."
He further lauded the film's performances, noting that even the smallest characters delivered top-notch work. "Every face feels cast, directed, and placed with intention," he observed. For Agnihotri, the film's ultimate triumph is its rare cohesion. "Most importantly, every department is in rare sync, working as one organism. That kind of cohesion doesn't happen by accident. That's when you know it's purely a writer/director's film," he concluded in his analysis.
Agnihotri's Personal Note to Aditya Dhar
In a heartfelt message directed at Aditya Dhar, Agnihotri expressed immense pride. "I've always admired your work, especially your sense of scale and design, but this is you operating on another level," he wrote. He watched the film with "genuine pride" for Dhar, the craft, and Indian cinema. Agnihotri's final words were a powerful endorsement: "Keep raising the bar. When the younger generation does work like this, Indian cinema moves forward. Simple. Bravo!"
Industry Echoes and Film's Stellar Journey
Agnihotri's review follows earlier praise from director Anurag Kashyap, who called Dhurandhar a "brilliant film" while offering minor critiques on two dialogue sequences. The film, featuring an ensemble cast including Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt, has achieved monumental success. It has become the fifth Indian film ever to cross the Rs 1200 crore mark in worldwide box office collections, cementing its place among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.
The momentum continues, with Dhurandhar 2 already announced and scheduled for release on March 19, 2026. The overwhelming critical and commercial success of the first installment has set incredibly high expectations for the sequel, promising to further propel the spy-thriller franchise and Indian cinema on the global stage.
