Dhurandhar Trailer Out: Dhruv Rathee Calls it ‘Equivalent To ISIS Beheadings’, Slams Director Aditya Dhar
Dhurandhar Trailer Out: Dhruv Rathee Calls it ‘Equivalent To ISIS Beheadings’, Slams Director Aditya Dhar
The content creator criticises the film’s extreme violence and urges the CBFC to intervene.
The trailer of Aditya Dhar’s new spy-action thriller Dhurandhar has generated massive buzz for its visceral, high-intensity visuals. But while fans are praising its dark tone, background score and powerful performances, not everyone is impressed. Content creator and political commentator Dhruv Rathee has sharply criticised the trailer for its depiction of torture and gore, comparing it to ISIS beheading videos.
Hours after the trailer dropped, Rathee posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Aditya Dhar has truly crossed a limit of cheapness in Bollywood. The extreme violence, gore and torture shown in his latest film trailer is the equivalent of watching ISIS beheadings and calling it ‘entertainment’.”
He further accused the makers of glorifying brutality for commercial gain. “His lust for money is so unhinged that he is willingly poisoning the minds of the young generation, desensitizing them to gore and glorifying unimaginable torture,” he wrote, urging the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to examine the trailer’s content. “This is the chance for Censor Board to show if they have a bigger problem with people kissing or watching someone get skinned alive,” he added.
Two graphic moments in the trailer have especially stood out. One features Arjun Rampal, playing an ISI Major, skinning a man alive. Another shows Akshaye Khanna, portraying a Lahore gangster, beating a man to death with a stone. Despite the intensity, a large section of viewers online has celebrated the trailer’s dark mood, with several praising the haunting soundtrack and demanding that the film release without cuts or blurring.
The trailer was launched at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai on Tuesday morning, in the presence of director Aditya Dhar, lead actor Ranveer Singh and the ensemble cast, including Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi.
Set against the backdrop of India–Pakistan intelligence conflict, Dhurandhar follows Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy navigating a violent, high-stakes mission. The action entertainer is slated for theatrical release on December 5.
