Dhurandhar: The Revenge Review
“229 minutes of spy muscle that flexes hardest in the last hour. Bring snacks, bring patience, bring your flag.”
Agent Athreya··Action, Crime, Thriller
Aditya Dhar
Critic Scores
Overview
Aditya Dhar said he had more story to tell, and brother, he really, really did. Dhurandhar: The Revenge lands like a sledgehammer on a Ugadi holiday, picking up exactly where Part 1 left off and refusing to let go of your collar for nearly four hours. It's loud, it's bloody, it's unapologetically patriotic. And when it works, it works.
Story
With Rehman Dakait gone, RAW agent Hamza Ali Mazari (Ranveer Singh) tightens his grip on Lyari while the real man behind the cover (Jaskirat Singh Rangi) finally gets his origin story told through a lengthy flashback. On the other side of the border, ISI Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) is closing in, and the lines between mission and vengeance start to blur. The film also weaves in real-world events like demonetisation, the Dawood Ibrahim angle, as part of the spy fabric, which will either excite you or make you roll your eyes depending on where you sit.
What Works
Ranveer Singh in the final stretch. The man carries 229 minutes on his back and makes it look personal. There's a sequence late in the second half where Hamza breaks down, and Ranveer plays it with a rawness that hits you in the chest. Part 1 kept him caged. Part 2 sets him loose.
The Ranveer vs. Arjun Rampal face-off. Rampal as Major Iqbal is genuinely menacing: cold, ideological, precise. Every scene these two share has a crackling tension that proper spy thrillers are built on. That pre-climax confrontation? The theatre went silent.
The last hour. Multiple applause breaks, repeat-watch energy, and Shashwat Sachdev's background score cranked to maximum. Gulte was right. 4-5 moments where the single screens would have gone absolutely berserk.
Rakesh Bedi as Jameel Jamali. An unlikely scene-stealer who brings genuine warmth and becomes one of the film's most memorable characters. Sometimes it's the supporting cast that makes a film feel alive.
Scale and production ambition. Punjab, Ladakh, Thailand-as-Pakistan. Vikash Nowlakha's cinematography gives the film a visual weight that makes it feel genuinely international. This doesn't look like a production that was rushed.
What Doesn't
Jaskirat's backstory doesn't earn its runtime. The origin flashback explaining why a Sikh man would spend years undercover as a Pakistani operative needed to hit like a gut-punch. Instead, it lands as a mild shove. The emotional foundation of the entire film rests on this, and it's the weakest pillar.
The first half is uneven. Greatandhra flagged it, Telugu360 flagged it. There are stretches where the film drifts into exposition and the energy dips noticeably. Chapter 2 onwards is where the machine gets going, but you have to wait for it.
Technical Aspects
Shashwat Sachdev's background score is the film's secret weapon. It elevates at least a dozen sequences that might otherwise feel ordinary, and Aari Aari is genuinely infectious. Vikash Nowlakha's cinematography gives the film real texture, especially in the Ladakh and Bangkok sequences. Production values are best-in-class for Indian spy cinema. Whatever controversies swirl around the content, nobody can question where the money went on screen.
What the Audience Is Saying
The numbers say everything: ₹75 crore on paid previews alone, ₹503 crore opening weekend, and audiences already lining up for second shows. IMDb opened at 8.6 from early voters, and Allu Arjun himself called it "patriotism with swag." The word on the street is simple: the last hour alone is worth the ticket.
Athreya's Verdict
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is the kind of film that rewards patience and punishes restlessness. The first half asks you to trust Aditya Dhar, and the second half makes good on that promise, spectacularly. Yes, the Jaskirat origin story is half-baked and the runtime is a genuine test. But Ranveer Singh is operating at a career-best level, the final hour is pure single-screen thunder, and there's a reason people are booking second and third shows. Bring snacks, bring patience, and let the last hour do the talking.
