Mar 26, 2026 6:09pm PT

The ‘Dhurandhar’ Duology Review: A Pair of Vicious Action Blockbusters Cement Bollywood’s Bleak Transformation

The first half of Aditya Dhar’s spy saga is on Netflix, while the sequel sets the box office ablaze.

Siddhant Adlakha

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Siddhant Adlakha

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Upon its December release, Aditya Dhar’s gloomy espionage thriller “Dhurandhar” went on to become the highest grossing Hindi-language film in India. Now in cinemas, its follow-up “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” is poised to equal if not surpass it, marking a potentially permanent, and in some ways concerning shift in what rules the hearts and minds of Bollywood viewers. The spy series — which began as a single film before being cleaved late into production — is a brazen, blood-soaked saga that nakedly preys on jingoistic sentiment and fawns at the foot of government power. However, it’s not without its merits as a work of cinematic sensationalism, which makes it unique even in an industry that has long cozied up to the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his ruling party, the BJP.