Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar Duology: Bollywood’s Shift to Competent Civilisational Myth-Making

In this opinion piece, author Nirmalya Dutta analyses the massive success of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar duology starring Ranveer Singh and explains why it has triggered ‘Dhurandhar Derangement Syndrome’ among certain sections. The article compares American propaganda with Soviet agitprop and argues that every nation needs foundational myths. It points out how India’s post-independence ahimsa myth ignored epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana, and shaped a pacifist foreign policy that led to border issues. Dhurandhar movies break from old Bollywood formulas of ‘Indians and Pakistanis are same’ narratives or poorly made exploitation films. Instead, they offer high-detail spy thrillers with sublime music blending various genres, Tarantino-style revenge fantasies, and subtle civilisational pride set in contemporary times. The duology is praised for competent myth-making similar to Hollywood’s Top Gun or American Sniper, or India’s own Baahubali and RRR, but in a modern context. The strong backlash against the film is seen as the reaction of the old elite facing loss of control over narratives and civilisational erasure. Dutta concludes that new India is ready for such stories, as shown by the film’s huge box office and cultural impact, while old critics are simply not prepared for this change in Bollywood storytelling. The piece celebrates Bollywood’s growing ability to create unifying national myths attuned to current audience sentiments.