After Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar took the world by storm last December—ending its box office run as the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film of all time—the writer-director brings his epic saga to a close with one of the most hotly awaited sequels in recent memory: Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
**This review may contain mild spoilers for Dhurandhar: The Revenge.**
Picking up in the year 2000, the sequel wastes no time delivering answers. We are shown the tragic series of events that led Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh) to transform into the now-iconic Hamza Ali Mazari. While we’ll leave the specifics for the theater, the opening sequence is an absolute banger and provides a worthy backstory for one of Hindi cinema’s greatest new big-screen heroes.
The story then flashes to the immediate aftermath of Rehman Dakait’s (Akshaye Khanna) brutal death and follows Hamza as he consolidates power in Lyari. Through patience and calculated maneuvering, he ultimately succeeds in becoming one of the most powerful men in Karachi, earning the title Sher-e-Baloch (“Lion of Balochistan”).
He soon meets the notorious Dawood Ibrahim (Danish Iqbal) and Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal), who enlist him in a plot to smuggle narcotics into India. However, a blast from the past complicates matters. Hamza finds himself in a race against the clock as the doors begin to close in around him and the line between his lives as Hamza and Jaskirat becomes increasingly blurred. With suspicions about his true allegiances mounting, Hamza must act fast to fulfill his mission and exact revenge against those who wronged his homeland.
Revenge is at the forefront of this feature, and it is delivered with aplomb. After spending nearly the entire previous film infiltrating Dakait’s world, Hamza is now solely focused on vengeance—and once he gets the green light, his fire is unstoppable. Director Aditya Dhar executes his monumental vision with expert precision. Given the film's massive scope, it is a marvel that he manages to make every minute of the 229-minute runtime so engrossing. He stages one epic action sequence after another, interspersed with intense, gut-wrenching dramatic moments that allow the audience to feel the characters' pain through the screen.
However, as good as Dhar is as a director, he should be doubly commended for his work as a writer. Crafting these two films—which are loosely based on true events—is a massive undertaking. He successfully develops a complex world with rich characters and a larger-than-life story that stays with you long after the credits roll. Not a moment is wasted; even the slower beats are presented in such a compelling manner that you likely won't care about the length. He also expertly weaves in multiple real-life events to ground the storytelling, though viewers should remember that both films are far more fiction than fact.
Ranveer Singh is an absolute tour de force. This is easily his finest performance to date and a true testament to his evolution as an actor. As incredible as he was as the stoic Hamza in the first film, it is his portrayal of the man behind the mask, Jaskirat, that makes his work here phenomenal. Because the audience is aware of his character’s true nature, Singh is able to reach an emotional depth unseen in his previous roles. He is exceptional in the action sequences and remains inherently likable, keeping the audience rooting for him from start to finish.
As for the supporting cast, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan are all exceptional. Rampal, who has always excelled as an on-screen villain, gets considerably more to do this time and proves to be the duology’s most formidable adversary. Sara Arjun shines in her limited screen time, but Rakesh Bedi (playing her on-screen father) nearly steals the show with some of the movie's best moments.
Vikash Nowlakha’s cinematography pairs perfectly with Dhar’s direction, creating plenty of memorable imagery. Shashwat Sachdev’s music is strong, though it falls slightly short of the "chartbusters" from the previous installment. The absence of the "Title Track" was certainly felt.
While some fans have been clamoring for a Part 3, Dhar ends the film in such a satisfying manner that it’s hard to ask for more. This is the right conclusion for a two-part story; there's no need to ruin a great thing with an unnecessary add-on. Let this live on as the epic piece of art it is.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is a roaring good time at the cinema. Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh deliver a finale for the ages, bringing the story of Hamza Ali Mazari to a powerful conclusion. Go see this one in theaters—it is well worth the price of admission!