Director: Aditya Dhar
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| https://www.filmbooster.fi/en/film/1703284- dhurandhar/overview/ |
At an official event, Pakistanis were observed dancing to a song featured in the 'banned' movie, much to the dismay of the leaders. The movie's catchy soundtrack, performed by a Bahraini rapper in Arabic, is causing a stir among viewers. Fans are creating their own clips and dances to the song. Reels from Pakistan show Pakistanis highly praising the film, calling it top-quality and realistic! Some Pakistanis may have experienced the vibrant days of 2000s Karachi, particularly in Liyari Town. Even now, Karachi remains labelled as the second most dangerous city after Caracas.
The entire film is a summary of blaming Pakistan for all of India's problems. And they succeeded significantly. It begins with disastrous concessions to the demands of the Kandahar hijackers in late 1999, when Mazood Azahar had to be released. Mazood went on to establish JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammed) and was the mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament attack and subsequent unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ajit Doval, who first gained prominence during the Kandahar hijackings, makes a notable appearance in this film. His role is superbly portrayed by R Madhavan, who is unrecognisable beneath all the makeup. Through a fictional operation, Dhurandhar, an Indian spy, is inserted into Pakistan. In real life, Doval, while serving as a staff member at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, went undercover to gather intelligence on Pakistan. On one occasion, he disguised himself as a beggar to retrieve hair from a barber's shop to assess radioactive traces in scientists' hair, aiming to determine Pakistan's nuclear activities. Like Doval, the film's protagonist, Hamza, enters Karachi as a Baloch vagabond, attempting to infiltrate Liyari town.
Liyari was controlled by warlords involved in various illegal activities such as Indian rupee counterfeiting, extortion, and drug trafficking. They were feared even by the Karachi police. A fact: turf wars made Rahman Baloch @ Dakoit the de facto leader. Through a deal with the Pakistani government, Rahman Baloch established his own police force, school, and social justice system for the residents of his territory. It was a country within a country, as President Musharraf acknowledged in an interview.
In reality, a dedicated Police Superintendent, Chaudhry Aslam, was determined to end the violence in that part of Karachi. The story skillfully weaves Hamza's assistance into the Superintendent's plan to eliminate Rahman Baloch. Also drawn into the unfolding events is the ISI chief, Major Iqbal, who might be connected to the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
The writing on the wall is very clear. This film aims to foster patriotism among Indians, whom they see as having been too meek under the previous government. A quote from Zia ul Haq, following their 1971 defeat in the civil war, is evidence of this. He is said to have vowed to 'bleed India with a thousand cuts'. All the minor skirmishes happening around India serve as proof of this.
If you think this three-and-a-half-hour presentation is too long, it isn't over yet. Be prepared for Part 2 in March 2026.
The stunts and violence, although quite gruesome, are carried out professionally, comparable to those in any blockbuster on the international stage. The continuity holds well despite the complex plot and side tracks. The recreation of Liyari is fantastic; even the residents of Liyari are demanding a share of the box office takings. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar continues to gross more at the box office and is likely to set a record of some kind soon.
Flipperachi (Hussam Aseem)
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