Dhurandhar The Revenge Review: Propaganda Over Cinema

When audiences head out to the cinema to catch a new blockbuster, they’ve got certain expectations based on the genre. An action film is supposed to leave you gasping at the stunts, a violent thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as you gasp in shock, and a movie trying to make some kind of statement will have you hooked by a compelling argument. But Dhurandhar The Revenge seems to falter when it comes to any of those things. Sure, it’s got a few cool sequences, but the overall feel is more like being stuck in a long, dry lecture rather than a movie at all.

In this Dhurandhar The Revenge review, we’re going to break down why, despite trying its best, this 3.5-hour epic just doesn’t manage to put together a coherent story.

Defanging the Beast with Too Much Violence

One of the things a violent film is supposed to do is keep you on the edge of your seat, but this sequel throws so many gruesome images up on screen that by the end, you just aren’t bothered anymore. Your eyes glaze over as your protagonist gets chopped up and smashed to bits time and time again. You grow numb to it, and by the end, the whole thing just feels like a bunch of noise, rather than something that’s actually trying to shock or disturb you.

A One-Track Mind on Politics

The film’s attempt to say something about politics is probably its biggest problem. Rather than trying to tackle big issues like government corruption or inequality, the movie gets stuck on plastering some politician’s face all over the screen – over and over and over again. As a result, all you can really remember from the film is the image of this one person’s face, not the plot at all.

The way they try to use this fictional story to make a point about real-life events – like the impact of demonetisation – ends up feeling pretty ridiculous. News is news, and that sort of thing is usually best left to the news channels. Shoving it down your throat in a made-up fantasy world after the fact just dilutes the message and makes you wonder what the real story is.

Pacing Issues Hold Back An Otherwise Promising Film

Alright, so viewers can get past the fact that this is basically a gory fairytale, and that makes it easy to gloss over some of the plot holes. But if you sit through the over 3.5 hours of this film, including all those annoying ads, you’ll still be left with a nagging feeling that something is off. The pace is just too slow.

Now, it’s weird because the main action – like the big terrorist takedowns – happens pretty quickly, within just 15 to 20 minutes of screen time. That’s less than 10% of the total movie! Considering the high stakes, that means you spend way too much time on stuff that’s not really important to the story. It makes the whole thing feel a lot less engaging than the first installment of Dhurandhar. The original had me hooked, even if I wasn’t into the subject matter. This one just can’t match that level of engagement.

Ranveer Singh’s Effort vs The Director’s Vision

It’s hard to write up a review of a film that feels so long and also feels disconnected from what you and others were expecting. But, I do have to give credit where credit is due – Ranveer Singh absolutely throws himself into this role, giving it his all.

Unfortunately, though, that’s more a testament to his dedication than the director’s ability to make the most of it. The rest of the cast pretty much just serves as a backdrop for all the violence and propaganda. They’re there to make the story sound good, not actually contribute to it. The writing seems to have been driven by a particular agenda – and not one that’s about telling a good story, either.

The Verdict: Is Dhurandhar The Revenge Worth Your Time?

It’s not easy reviewing a movie that leaves you feeling meh – especially one that’s as long as this one is. The film prioritises the agenda of the writers and the producers over actually telling a fun and compelling story. If you’re after a proper action thriller that gets the balance right, this isn’t the one for you.