Dhurandhar Actor Responds to Dhruv Rathee’s “False Propaganda” Claims About Box Office Hit

Content creator and political commentator Dhruv Rathee has ignited controversy with his recent video critique of Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller “Dhurandhar,” accusing the film of spreading “false propaganda” and “selling lies” to audiences. The criticism has now drawn a response from actor Naveen Kaushik, who appears in the film alongside stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna.

In an interview with SCREEN, Kaushik, who portrays the character Donga in the film, dismissed Rathee’s criticism while suggesting the YouTuber was attempting to capitalize on the movie’s success. “He is an opinionated person. I am associated with the film, I don’t agree with him obviously,” Kaushik stated, adding dismissively, “He got some views because of us, congratulations.”

Kaushik is not the only industry figure to respond to Rathee’s comments. Television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee also took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the commentator, writing, “I so try to avoid & ignore your sh**ty videos & tweets. Dunno why X got it on my feedback. Anyways. Dhurandhar ke baarein mein sochna bandh kar (Stop thinking about Dhurandhar).”

At the center of the controversy is Rathee’s video titled “Reality of Dhurandhar,” released last Saturday, in which he brands the film as “dangerous propaganda” constructed on falsehoods. Rathee had previously criticized the film on social media for what he described as excessive violence and gore.

In his detailed critique, Rathee argued that the film’s quality makes its messaging particularly problematic. “Well-made propaganda is more dangerous. Films like The Taj Story and The Bengal Films were not dangerous, kyunki wo bakwaas films thi (because they were bad films). But Dhurandhar is an engaging film,” he stated.

Rathee’s primary concern centers on the film’s presentation as being inspired by real events. “The problem is that Dhurandhar repeatedly shows you it’s inspired by real events. It says so in the trailer. It shows the real footage from the 26/11 attacks. The real audio recordings of conversations between the terrorists and their handlers have been used. It also uses real-life gangsters and cops based in Pakistan’s Lyari,” he explained in his video.

According to Rathee, this blending of fiction with historical events and real-world references makes “Dhurandhar” more persuasive than other Bollywood spy thrillers such as “Pathaan” or the “Tiger” series, which are more overtly fictional.

Despite the controversy, “Dhurandhar” continues to perform exceptionally well at the box office. According to trade website Sacnilk, the film has accumulated an estimated ₹589.50 crore in India since its theatrical release on December 5, making it one of the year’s biggest commercial successes.

The action-packed spy thriller features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles, supported by R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal. Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi also appear in pivotal roles.

The film’s commercial success appears unaffected by the controversy, with audiences continuing to flock to theaters. The strong box office performance has already secured a sequel, with the second installment of “Dhurandhar” scheduled for theatrical release on March 19, 2026.

This dispute highlights the ongoing tension between entertainment and political commentary in India’s film industry, where historical and political themes often generate significant debate about representation and messaging in popular media.