Aditya Dhar’s highly anticipated espionage thriller Dhurandhar has arrived on the public’s radar in a big, bloody way. The makers released a four-minute trailer that strips away cinematic polish and offers an unflinching look at a violent, morally complicated world of cross-border intelligence operations — with Ranveer Singh cast as the film’s fiercest, most dangerous avatar yet. The trailer rollout follows a string of striking character posters featuring Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan and Arjun Rampal that set the stage for this high-stakes, ensemble drama.

A trailer that refuses soft edges

Clocking in at roughly four minutes, the promo introduces viewers to the film’s grim, high-tension universe where people and loyalties are expendable. The background score — loud, pulsating and deliberately upbeat — heightens the sense of menace as Ranveer’s character moves through sequences of rage, retribution and carefully choreographed violence. The tone is deliberately raw: gore and brutality are presented not as spectacle but as the cost of clandestine warfare. Several media outlets and social media reactions highlighted that the trailer’s visceral energy and intense visuals left viewers both impressed and unnerved.

What the trailer reveals — Character roll call and identities

Dhurandhar opens its gallery of characters with distinct, ominous epithets and stark introductions:

• Ranveer Singh — “Wrath of God”: The central protagonist who infiltrates Pakistan to strike at terrorism’s roots. The trailer shows him in a dark, uncompromising avatar, driven by fury and a single-minded mission.

• Arjun Rampal — Major Iqbal / “Angel of Death”: Introduced in a shockingly violent sequence, Rampal’s Major Iqbal is presented as an ISI agent who tortures an Indian captive, setting up a personal and national threat.

• R. Madhavan — Ajay Sanyal / “Charioteer of Karma”: Portrayed as a measured but implacable strategist who vows to teach Pakistan a lesson; the role reportedly draws visual and tonal comparisons to high-level national security profiles.

• Akshaye Khanna — Rehman Dakait / “Apex Predator”: The mastermind whose razor intellect and cold demeanor make him a formidable antagonist. The trailer frames him as suave yet ruthless.

• Sanjay Dutt — SP Chaudhary Aslam / “The Jinn”: A morally gray, calculating force who knows the system’s weak points and exploits them. His presence adds a chilling, controlled intensity to the film’s darker angles.

• Sara Arjun: Making a notable return as Ranveer’s on-screen love interest, her presence humanizes parts of the narrative and contrasts with the surrounding violence.

The trailer also hints that the film’s plot is rooted in real incidents and the sacrifices of intelligence officers working undercover — an angle the makers emphasize repeatedly.

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Inspired by real events — Rumors, context and sensitivity

The film is described as being “inspired by incredible true events,” focusing on India’s covert operations and efforts to “infiltrate the very core of terrorism in Pakistan.” Speculation online has linked the story to real-life figures such as Major Mohit Sharma and other undercover operations, though the filmmakers have kept specifics deliberately vague — especially in the trailer — to build intrigue and respect the subject’s sensitivity. Media outlets also reported that the trailer’s initial release plans were postponed after the Delhi Red Fort blast on November 10; the makers delayed scheduled promotions as a mark of respect.

Lengthy runtime and franchise ambitions

Behind the scenes there’s been significant buzz about the film’s scale. Multiple reports say Dhurandhar currently sits at over three hours — roughly three hours and five minutes — making it Ranveer Singh’s longest film to date, with the final runtime to be locked by director Aditya Dhar and the producing studios in the days leading up to release. In light of the story’s breadth, producers and insiders have also opted to split the narrative — Part 1 releases on December 5, 2025, while Part 2 is reportedly planned for summer 2026. The two-part strategy is being framed as both a creative choice to preserve storytelling depth and a financial move to manage an ambitious budget.

Quotes from the makers — A personal, uncompromising vision

Aditya Dhar described Dhurandhar as “not just a film — it’s a raw, visceral truth pulled from a deeply personal core,” framing the film as a tribute to unsung intelligence officers and “the real sacrifice of service.” Dhar emphasised that the film avoids “easy jingoism” and aims to honor the grit and pain of national service. Ranveer Singh added that the goal was to create a feature on par with the best in the world — “raw, gritty and unapologetically Indian” — and to level up Indian cinema technically while staying true to local roots. Both credited Jyoti Deshpande and Jio Studios, plus B62 Studios, for supporting the scale and ambition of the project.

Trailer reception — Online reaction and early buzz

Within minutes of release the trailer sparked widespread chatter. Netizens praised the ensemble cast and the film’s intense visual identity, with many calling it a “game-changer” for Indian political action cinema. Some reactions even drew parallels with other high-intensity Indian films, noting the vocal line in the trailer that echoes charged, patriotic rhetoric. Critics and audiences, however, flagged a possible caveat: the film’s brutal gore may narrow its audience appeal even as it wins accolades from action aficionados.

What sets Dhurandhar apart — New, different and noteworthy

• A raw, unapologetically violent approach from mainstream Bollywood: While Indian action films have grown bloodier in recent years, Dhurandhar leans into brutality with a purpose-driven aesthetic — violence presented as consequence, not spectacle. That tonal commitment makes it feel less like mainstream masala and more like a hard-edged global spy thriller rooted in Indian geopolitics.

• A political-actioner that rejects simple jingoism: Director Aditya Dhar has publicly argued the film “rejects easy jingoism” and instead focuses on the emotional and moral cost of real operations — a nuance that aims to balance patriotism with human complexity. This positions Dhurandhar closer to character-driven thrillers than blanket propaganda.

• Ensemble with defined mythic epithets: Rather than relying solely on star power, the film brands each key player with archetypal titles — Wrath of God, Angel of Death, Apex Predator — which instantly signals mythic stakes and lends a comic-book grandeur to espionage. That rhetorical device is bold and helps the movie feel both operatic and intimate.

• Scale and franchise thinking: Dhurandhar’s reported three-hour runtime and the decision to split the narrative into two parts reflect a cinematic appetite for epic storytelling in Indian multiplex cinema — a strategic shift toward serialized, franchise-style filmmaking in the country’s mainstream.

• Technical ambition and training regime: The production reportedly pushed long, demanding working days and a high level of stunt choreography and technical execution — suggesting the makers wanted a world-class action template with Indian sensibilities.

Release plan and what to expect next

Dhurandhar is slated for a theatrical release on December 5, 2025. The trailer — initially planned for earlier in November — was deferred after the November 10 Delhi Red Fort blast out of respect, before being released in mid-November amid a flurry of online reaction. The producers are expected to confirm the final runtime within days of the trailer launch, and Part 2 of the project has been tentatively slated for Summer 2026 if current reports hold.

Final take

Dhurandhar looks poised to be one of the year’s most talked-about Indian films: a gruelling, grandiose spy saga that leans into violence and patriotism while promising craft and scale. With Ranveer Singh in an unusually savage avatar, an ensemble cast of veteran performers, and a director who aims to blend personal commitment with geopolitical scope, the film will be measured not just by box-office returns but by how audiences respond to its unflinching tenor — and whether the two-part gamble deepens or fragments its impact.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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