Reality of Dhurandhar Film | Is Dhurandhar Based On Real Events?

Director Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar is a fictional spy action-thriller film based on the Indian intelligence agency and Pakistani terrorist networks. The film is not a biopic; rather, it is inspired by India's geopolitical events and real-life experiences, and it stars Ranveer Singh in the lead role. The scope of the Dhurandhar film is quite broad, encompassing events that span several decades.

Since its release on December 5th, the film has not only dominated the box office but has also stirred up controversy and gained significant attention among film enthusiasts online. But the question arises: Is this gripping film based on a true story? Or is it simply for entertainment, or does it contain hidden political propaganda? We will discuss in detail the true story behind this compelling film, its acting, and its authenticity.

What is the reality of the Dhurandhar Movie?

Director Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar is a fictional spy action-thriller film based on the Indian intelligence agency and Pakistani terrorist networks. The film is not a biopic; rather, it is inspired by India's geopolitical events and real-life experiences, and it stars Ranveer Singh in the lead role. The scope of the Dhurandhar film is quite broad, encompassing events that span several decades.

Since its release on December 5th, the film has not only dominated the box office but has also stirred up controversy and gained significant attention among film enthusiasts online. But the question arises: Is this gripping film based on a true story? Or is it simply for entertainment, or does it contain hidden political propaganda? We will discuss in detail the true story behind this compelling film, its acting, and its authenticity.

From Beginning to End

The story of the film Dhurandhar begins with a fictional intelligence operation known as 'Operation Dhurandhar'. The film's protagonist is an Indian spy (Ranveer Singh as Dhurandhar) who infiltrates Pakistan and a terrorist network called Operation Bhavandar.

Chronologically, the film's events begin around 2008-2009, coinciding with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The film depicts how the intelligence agency collaborated with Pakistani gangsters to dismantle terrorist networks and passed on much classified information to the RAW Chief. One day, around 2018, he received a piece of intelligence and passed it on to the RAW chief, indicating that an explosion might occur on an army convoy heading towards Pulwama in early 2019. This is how the film begins.

The RAW Chief informs the Prime Minister about this intelligence. It states that 11 such pieces of information have been received, so the army convoys should not travel on that route, and the possibility of an attack is very high.

The RAW Chief believes he did the right thing by informing the Prime Minister. However, the attack occurred on February 14, 2019. The film shows actual footage of the Pulwama attack, even though it is a fictional film.

The Pakistani terrorists rejoice at this event, while the spies are left stunned. The spies later call the RAW Chief to find out exactly what happened, why the attack occurred despite all the intelligence, but the RAW Chief has no answer.

The spies thought that perhaps the greatest enemies of the Indians were the Indians themselves. He hinted that there was a traitor in the government responsible for the deaths of 40 CRPF jawans. The spies were told to continue their efforts.

While searching the terrorists' hideout, the spy heard the voices of our Prime Minister and the head of the ISI in an audio recording, and he could not believe his ears.

Our Prime Minister said, "Let some people die, let vehicles be burned, let the incident happen; if it happens before the elections, it will be a great advantage for us," and the ISI chief replied, "Okay, sir."

Rahman Dacoit died on August 9th in an encounter operation led by police officer Chowdhury Aslam. This part of the film shows him being brought to the hospital before his death, but there is no such news in reality. However, a journalistic report indicates that the post-mortem report showed Rahman Dacoit was shot from a distance of three feet. Rahman's wife complained about this incident, claiming it was a fake encounter.

Similarly, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008 are shown in the film with real footage. Here, Ranveer Singh plays the role of a gangster, a character similar to Rahman Dacoit, a gangster from the Lyari area of Pakistan. The film shows that Indian intelligence agencies were involved in operations with these gangsters. Chronologically, Rahman Dacoit's death is shown on August 9, 2009, and the role of an Indian agent is added to this part of the film.

In the middle of the film, events from 2010-2011 unfold, where the issue of counterfeit currency is discussed. The film depicts a minister of the then Congress government sending a counterfeit currency machine to Pakistan. However, in reality, in 2010, the contract with the British company De La Rue was cancelled because the quality of their paper was substandard. The film adds a layer of fantasy here and portrays the government as treacherous.

The film also touches upon the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the Kargil War, the 2016 Uri terrorist attack, and the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack. The film claims that the government took no action despite warnings from intelligence agencies.

Intelligence information regarding the Kandahar plane hijacking was provided to the government, yet the government took no action, even when the plane landed at Amritsar airport for refuelling. The subsequent consequences shown include the 2001 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Indian Parliament attacks, the 2008 26/11 attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, the 2019 Pulwama attack, and finally, the 2025 Red Fort terrorist attack.

Movie Cast Star Roles

The literal meaning of the word "Dhurandhar" is Stalwart. The casting of the film Dhurandhar is very strong, and there are many similarities between the film's story and real-life characters. Ranveer Singh plays the lead role, portraying a gangster-turned-agent. Other cast members include Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan.

Hamza Ali Mazari / Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh): The main character of the film is essentially a deep-cover intelligence operative who infiltrates enemy terrorist and criminal networks by assuming a false identity and working as a trusted member. On the other hand, his real identity is Jaskirat Singh Rangi—a brave, trained field agent of the Indian intelligence agency RAW.

The most important aspect of this character is the immense pressure it puts on his own identity, beliefs, and humanity while working in the shadows of the enemy. The conflict between his duty to national security and the questions of his own life and morality makes this character extremely human and realistic.

Ranveer Singh's portrayal shows that modern espionage is not just about gathering information, but also about risking one's own existence, which acts as the central driving force of the film and takes the entire story to a deeper level of emotion, thrill, and realism.

Karachi's former underworld DON Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna): Based on the notorious real-life Pakistani gangster Abdul Rehman Baloch. However, a major character in this film is Hamza Ali Mazari, the dreaded Lyari gang leader, Pakistan's "unknown gunman," whose name has repeatedly appeared in police records, international media reports, and even diplomatic protests from Islamabad over the past five years.  The portrayal of this character has created much confusion. A secret Indian spy infiltrates Karachi's gang wars and begins his long game, gradually rising to a high position within the fearsome Lyari gang.

SP Chaudhary Aslam (Sanjay Dutt): Based on the famed Pakistani encounter specialist Chaudhary Aslam Khan, a daring and uncompromising police officer from Karachi who led tough operations against terrorists and criminal gangs. The main inspiration for this character is Operation Lyari, conducted in Karachi's Lyari area. His character shows how the criminal world and terrorism are interconnected and how dangerous this can be for regional security.

Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) was inspired by the militant leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who later became known as a close associate of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI. The film depicts how a hardline fighter is part of a larger terrorist network, but he is not a mere militant; rather, he is deeply involved in terrorist planning, training, and cross-border terrorist activities.

Director Ajay Sanyal, Indian Intelligence Bureau (R. Madhavan): Inspired by India's current NSA, Ajit Doval, the film portrays him as a shrewd, influential, and experienced officer who implements national security from behind the scenes without directly engaging in combat. He is a strategist who knows when to use diplomacy and when to make decisive moves. His character clearly demonstrates that modern warfare is not fought solely with guns or bombs, but through intelligence networks and strategic decision-making.

There is no debate about the brilliant casting in the film, but questions have been raised about the social responsibility of the actors. Do they act in such propaganda films merely for money?

True Story or Fiction? Reality Check

The movie "Dhruva" depicts some real-life events. While many scenes in the film are based on reality, it also includes several fictional events.

• 1999 IC-814 Hijacking: Despite having prior intelligence, the government did not take effective action, and even during the refuelling of the plane in Amritsar, the threat could not be neutralised, resulting in the release of notorious terrorists like Masood Azhar in exchange for the passengers' freedom.
• 2001 Indian Parliament Attack: This attack struck at the very heart of Indian democracy. The attack revealed a deep network, raising questions about how such a major disaster could occur despite prior intelligence warnings.
• 2008 Mumbai (26/11) Attacks: The film uses actual audio recordings and footage. The conversations of the terrorists' handlers are real, but the film also suggests that the Indian government knowingly allowed the attack to happen. In reality, there was intelligence, but the attack occurred due to a lack of coordination.
• 2009 Death of Rahman Dakat: In reality, Pakistani police officer Chaudhry Aslam was killed in an encounter. The film adds Indian agents, who are fictional. News reports from August 10, 2009, state that it happened in the Bin Qasim area, and his wife called it a fake encounter.
• 2010-2011 Fake notes: The film blames the minister, but in reality, the contract with the De La Rue company was cancelled due to the quality of the paper. News reports from 2011 stated that Pakistan was printing counterfeit notes to weaken the Indian economy and finance terrorist networks by circulating them in the Indian currency market.
• Operation Lyari: This took place in the Lyari area of ​​Karachi, where a security operation was launched to suppress criminal gangs and terrorist networks. The main objective was to dismantle the structure of terrorist groups and re-establish law and order.
• 2016 Uri Attack: There was prior intelligence about the attack on the Uri army base; the IB had warned the army units, but the attack still occurred.
• 2019 Pulwama Attack: An investigation revealed that there were 11 intelligence reports before the Pulwama terrorist attack, yet the attack still occurred. In the film, this is portrayed as government betrayal, which is not a proven fact.

Criticism and Influence

Hrithik Roshan's Opinion and Historical Comparison

Hrithik Roshan has stated that he does not agree with the political aspects of the film. He may argue about the filmmakers' responsibilities, but according to him, the film's story was extraordinary, and as a student of cinema, he learned a lot from it. Essentially, Hrithik Roshan meant that even though the film was propaganda, it was well-made.

The film has been compared to Leni Riefenstahl, the Nazi propaganda filmmaker during Hitler's time. The techniques used in her film "Triumph of the Will" were highly praised. Moreover, the propaganda films promoting Hitler's ideology were highly profitable and even became box office hits.

However, the renowned critic Suzanne Sonak, in her article, emphasises that propaganda is only effective when it is well-presented in a film. Films like "The Taj Story" and "The Bengal Files" did not prove to be as dangerous, but these films contained a lot of misinformation.  Furthermore, the engaging film "Dhurandhar" keeps you engrossed while also showing how intelligence agencies hire criminals.

Is the Dhurandhar movie real?

The film Dhurandhar is based on a true story, but it includes propaganda. The film is anti-BJP propaganda that attempts to portray Narendra Modi as a traitor.

The film shows that Surjit was sent to Pakistan as a spy by the intelligence agencies, but the Indian government denies this.  Yet, the film presents this secret agent as a hero. The problem is that Dhurandhar repeatedly claims to be inspired by real events, while the film's trailer repeatedly states that it is based on fictional events.

However, the 26/11 terrorist attack, which is a real event, is shown in the film, and even real-life audio recordings are used.

If someone asks Aditya Dhar about this film, he will say it's a fictional film. But if asked why it includes so many real-life events if it's fictional, he might reply that it's a film inspired by some real events.