Disclaimer: For the best experience, readers are encouraged to watch Dhurandhar 1 prior to going through this article to avoid minor spoilers and to understand the context of the review better.
It’s an undeniable fact that when Dhurandhar’s first part released, it blew the charts overnight. In a state like Kerala where very few Bollywood films even survive their first week, Dhurandhar ran packed shows for more than a month. In fact, for Aditya Dhar, it was probably his first film to gain such widespread recognition across India, especially down south, even though his previous films like Uri were critically well acclaimed.
Dhurandhar Part Two (officially titled Dhurandhar: The Revenge) starts exactly where the first part left off. After his spree in the first part that resulted in the death of Rahman Dakait, played by Akshaye Khanna, along with several other main antagonists, Ranveer Singh’s Hamza Ali Mazari continues navigating through the infamous town of Lyari in Pakistan in the efforts of wiping out the remaining terrorists.
Just like in the first part, Ranveer Singh delivers an electrifying performance as Hamza / Jaskirat Singh Rangi. From rage-filled action scenes to emotional moments, he carries everything out with the same intensity the role demands.
Ajay Sanyal, played by R. Madhavan, despite his brief appearances, makes a lasting impact. His composed but fierce approach works really well for a character who’s more of an intellectual diplomat.
Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal feels menacing, but the story often fails to give him the space required to fully explore the character. Even during the climax bits, his highly anticipated moments feel slightly underwhelming and rushed because of this.
Sara Arjun’s performance as Yalina Ali Mazari was a bit surprising. At just 20, and being fairly new to this kind of genre, she delivers a convincing and mature performance, especially during emotional scenes. It’s still early to call anything, but this definitely looks promising.
SP Chaudhary Aslam, played by Sanjay Dutt, feels like a very familiar Sanjay Dutt character, but somehow still works within the story as a special appearance.
There were a lot of commendable performances in the film. Jameel Jamali, played by Rakesh Bedi, adds a nice layer to the narrative. Characters played by Santhy, Sachin, Divya Prabha, Zhins Shan, Rahul Rajagopal, Nandhu and others all do their part well, complementing each other and making the world feel more complete without trying to do too much.
Shashwat Sachdev’s music continues to elevate scenes right when it needs to. The tracks blend well with the tone of the film and never feel out of place.
The gritty cinematography by Vikash Nowlakha is a great example of everything done just right. It makes the world of Dhurandhar look raw and believable without trying too hard.
The production design by Saini S. Johray, which has been talked about since part one, once again stands out. The way they’ve recreated a Pakistani town in Thailand is genuinely impressive and adds a lot to the film’s authenticity.
Despite a 3 hour 55 minute runtime, Shivkumar V. Panicker’s editing keeps things surprisingly engaging. It balances the pace well without making the film feel rushed or exhausting.
The story overall remains layered and rooted in realism like part one, but shifts more towards geopolitics this time. At times, it does feel like it tries a bit too hard to include controversial political references around India, Pakistan and global issues, which slightly takes away from giving more depth to the characters. But even then, the pacing never really dips, and the film still feels like a cohesive experience.
In the end, Dhurandhar 2 is exactly what it sets out to be. It doesn’t try to be something completely different or overambitious, but builds on what already worked in the first film. It has its flaws, especially when it comes to character depth and some rushed moments, but overall, it delivers a solid continuation that does enough to keep the audience invested.
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