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Dhurandhar (Revenge): Raw and Undekha (Hindi; 2026)
Director: Aditya Dhar
Things that come to mind after watching this movie, which is the continuation of its first part, are whether it is a work of fiction, a propaganda film, or based on true events. Too many things, too fast, all centred on a group of people linked to and residing in Pakistan, seems preposterous. Ask the Indian journalists and political leaders, and they will swear that everything mentioned in the film actually took place and that India has all the proof to prove it. The people in the Indian intelligence would keep their lips sealed, citing national security. In fact, some sources complained that the film revealed far more than the general public needed to know and would jeopardise their work.
It is no secret that Indian intelligence has infiltrated Pakistan to keep tabs on the rogue nation's elaborate plan to derail and seize as much land as possible, a plan that has never been laid to rest since the 'Two Nations' theory was put forward. One open secret, some call it an urban legend, is that India's current security advisor, Ajay Doval, in his younger days, masqueraded as a vagabond to assess the extent of the Pakistani nuclear programme in Kaholta. He allegedly collected hair from a barber's shop when Pakistani nuclear scientists were sourcing uranium. From their discarded hair, India could ascertain that they had been exposed to radiation.
There were many characters, events and sites depicted in the movie that genuinely existed or occurred. The central site where the story's gist took place, Lyari, did exist. It was recreated so closely to the original that even Pakistanis who viewed this movie through illegal downloading could not agree more.
Rehman Dacoit, the central figure in the first part, was a gangster who ruled Lyari as his fortress, a place even the Karachi police feared. Staying true to real events, he was eventually killed in a police encounter set up by another controversial figure, Police Commissioner Chaudhry Aslam. Aslam was a controversial figure, sometimes described as working for his paymasters, but at other times as an honest policeman who stayed true to his calling. He was a thorn in the gangsters' side. Ironically, the actor who played his role, Sanjay Dutt, was Chaudhry's favourite Bollywood star.
Many of the events depicted in this movie had Pakistani footprints all over them. The meticulously executed 2008 Mumbai attack was planned by a jihadist movement (LeT). One of the militants, Ajmal Kasab, who carried out the attack, was allegedly receiving real-time instructions from Islamabad. The movie, through skilful storytelling, wove this event into its main narrative.
Many assassinations and executions of gangsters and politicians (perhaps interchangeable) on either the Indian or Pakistani side, depicted in the film, did occur. A feared gangster-politician from Uttar Pradesh with deep connections to ISI, Atiq Ahmed, was shot in broad daylight in front of TV cameras in 2023, just as shown. He had earlier admitted to smuggling arms into the country for terror groups and to his involvement in many murders.
Many characters are created for the story, but are based on real people to fit the timeline and tie up loose ends. The Major Iqbal character is the most villainous in this part and is linked to Ilyas Kashmiri, who was giving instructions during the Mumbai attacks.
Another eye-opener for newcomers to the issue of Pakistani transborder terrorism was the counterfeit Indian rupees printed in Pakistan to fund Indian terrorist activities. It is also true that violence in Kashmir stopped immediately after demonetisation in November 2016. The mastermind behind this is shown in the film and met a similar end.
Is there a need for so much violence? In one scene, a gangster who takes over the helm of controlling Lyari kills his competitor, decapitates him and kicks his head around like a football. Such an incident did actually happen, according to eyewitnesses. Whether such gruesome details need to be included to drive home the vicious characters that ruled and influenced Pakistani political parties is another question. This character also had a real-life outcome similar to the one in the movie.
The movie did what it needed to do. It stirred Indian nationalism. It broke box office records and cemented the filmmakers as a force to be reckoned with. The movie was just such a hit that female viewers who normally abhor gore and violence sat through the nearly 4-hour movie without taking a toilet break. Intermission is not heard of in Malaysian cinemas.
Farouk Gulsara (asokansham@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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