Like many recent hits at the Indian box office, ‘Dhurandhar’ has drawn many diverse reactions. While some have praised the Ranveer Singh-starrer for its attention to detail and its expansive story, others have called out the film’s justification for its violence and the way it tries to align itself with the ruling power. Soon after the release, many pockets of the audience and some critics pointed this out. For R Madhavan, who stars in the film in a significant role, this signals an ‘agenda’ as he recently said that the film was called a ‘disaster’ on the day of the release.
While talking to ‘Esquire India’, Madhavan was asked about the polarising opinions that surround the film and he quickly brought back some of his old films like ‘Rang De Basanti’ and ‘3 Idiots’, which became talking points at the time of their release. He compared ‘Dhurandhar’ to these films and said that he always knew that a film like this was going to have an impact on society.
“When I heard ‘Dhurandhar’ and saw the immaculate research that had been done by Aditya Dhar, the fearlessness of the man, the uniqueness of his storytelling - these were the signs I got before the release of my film. I knew that this was going to impact society. There will be people who will first give it very bad ratings and then there will be people who will suddenly go and wonder, ‘Wow, this happened’,” he said.
The actor also questioned the fairness with which certain critics reviewed the film, claiming that many had written it off before it was even released. “You are free to express your opinion, but even before the film was released, obituaries had been written and on its release, you posted a review calling it a disaster. One wonders if there is an agenda,” he said and added, “But as actors, we thrive on this situation. Please don’t forget, irrespective of whatever your opinions and agendas are, we are a very lonely family and it is our job, no matter how much you like or hate a product or a person. Don’t take a jibe at the industry like an outsider. We have enough of them already,” said Madhavan.
As if to add to his point, Madhavan even took to social media to show his displeasure with some critics. He reposted a fan’s story where Akshaye Khanna’s character is warning the public about facing fatal consequences if they go against him. The fan who shared the scene wrote on top, “This goes for some critics as well.”