The conversation around Dhurandhar has resurfaced, this time sparked by strong remarks from Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia. The tech entrepreneur recently shared a candid video on Instagram criticising the action thriller and urging people to think carefully about the kind of content they support.
In his post, Bhatia said he was disturbed by what he described as excessive violence and a heavy focus on revenge in the film. According to him, cinema should emotionally empower you, not simply provoke you. “Movies today are made to trigger you,” he wrote, adding that audiences need to be cautious about what they consume.
After watching the film, Bhatia said he felt there was little intellectual depth behind the dramatic storytelling. He expressed concern about the effect such films might have on younger audiences. “We want the young generation to grow up as logical thinkers, not emotional reactors,” he said in the video, questioning whether scenes of repeated killings and revenge can truly be called entertainment.
He also took issue with what he felt was a broad portrayal of countries and institutions in the storyline. Bhatia argued that complex political issues cannot be reduced to simple good-versus-bad narratives. “It paints entire countries and institutions with a broad brush. Individuals are good or bad, not nations,” he said.
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His comments quickly divided social media users. Some agreed with his concerns, saying mainstream films often glorify violence. Others disagreed, defending the movie as fictional entertainment and pointing out that audiences can separate cinema from reality. Some have pointed out that even Hollywood makes films purely for entertainment, with little logic or depth. A few users said they respected Bhatia for his achievements but did not share his views on the film.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar tells the story of an Indian spy who goes undercover to dismantle a criminal network inside a Baloch gang in Lyari, Pakistan. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Sanjay Dutt, and is now streaming on Netflix.
Its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, will release in theatres on March 19. Despite the criticism, the film, which was released on December 5, 2025, has performed well at the box office and built a strong fan base.
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