If you’ve been tracking big-ticket Bollywood projects, Dhurandhar is one name you can’t miss in 2025. Helmed, written, and co-produced by Aditya Dhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh, Dhurandhar promises to be an sprawling spy-action thriller rooted in geopolitics, covert operations, and real-world inspirations. Coming in at an astonishing 212 minutes, this film is set to release on 5 December 2025 and has already sparked conversations-from its star-studded cast to controversies over real-life inspirations.
Background & Inspiration
What “Dhurandhar” means: The title carries the gravitas of something stalwart and steadfast, fitting for a high-stakes spy thriller centered around grit, patriotism, and choices that are morally ambiguous.
Real-life inspirations: The film draws inspiration from real-life geopolitical events, covert operations, and specifically references Operation Lyari — a government-led crackdown on gangs and crime syndicates in Lyari, Karachi. Though the story itself was fictionalized for cinematic purposes, several of the characters are most definitely inspired by real figures. That, however, has resulted in heightened scrutiny and a legal pushback.
Makers and Production Houses
Helmed by Aditya Dhar, known for filmmaking that has repeatedly pushed the envelope on national and hard-hitting storylines, as a writer, director, and co-producer, this is a film supported by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, reflecting top-line production values with a reportedly large budget, which shows in its ambition of scale and shooting schedules across the globe.
Producers Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar have combined creative and financial resources to mount what looks to be a globally ambitious Indian spy thriller.
Star Cast & Key Characters
The film stars Ranveer Singh in the lead, as a RAW agent, the protagonist around whom the story pivots. Ranveer’s reputation for full-throttle performances and physical transformations adds to the anticipation of the film.
Notable supporting cast members include:
Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam (character inspired by Chaudhry Aslam Khan) – a strong, law-and-order figure.
Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait: This is loosely based on gangster Rehman Dakait and is expected to bring a layered antagonist.
R. Madhavan playing NSA Ajay Sanyal, a character molded upon Ajit Doval — a key nation
Arjun Rampal as Major Iqbal, ISI (based on Ilyas Kashmiri) adds to the list of antagonists an international menace.
Sara Arjun in a key role opposite Ranveer, and Rakesh Bedi, Saumya Tandon, Naveen Kaushik, Manav Gohil, Danish Pandor rounding out important roles.
The real-life references in the characters also include police officers, gang leaders, and national security figures that created intense curiosity and, predictably, controversies.
Plot Expectations & Character Inspirations
The movie dramatizes an elaborate conflict that a RAW operative, Ranveer, gets involved in, from cross-border crime syndicates and militant networks to shadowy games played out by intelligence agencies. Although the screenplay fictionalizes certain events, the core storyline reportedly has heavy elements of Operation Lyari — dramatizing the intelligence-led efforts to dismantle entrenched criminal structures.
Character inspirations are overt:
Sanjay Dutt’s SP Chaudhary Aslam echoes Chaudhry Aslam Khan’s law-enforcement bravado.
Akshaye Khanna’s Rehman Dakait channels the underworld’s menace.
R. Madhavan’s character NSA Ajay Sanyal draws from high level national security apparatus figures.
Arjun Rampal’s Major Iqbal represents militant/ISI-linked antagonism.
Because the film maps fiction onto observable people and incidents, it occupies an uneasy space between dramatic storytelling and ethical responsibilities toward portrayals of real life.
Filming — Locations & Timeline
Principal photography lasted from July 2024 to October 2025-an extended schedule that speaks volumes about the film’s scale. Shooting locations included:
Bangkok, Thailand: Early schedules and sequences meant to replicate Pakistan-set locales.
Mumbai (Filmistan, Madh Island, Vile Parle): Urban sequences, studio shoots, and a dance number shot at the Golden Tobacco Factory.
Punjab: Golden Temple, Amritsar – A well-known second schedule in November 2024, probably for some culturally specific sequences.
Dombivli-Mankoli bridge & other action sites: action-heavy shoots were held in May 2025.
Ladakh: Filming of high-altitude sequences in August 2025- temporarily put on hold after crew members suffered from food poisoning.
Thailand again: Used for Pakistani landscapes and sequences recreation.
Ranveer Singh wraps the principal portions in October 2025, while the entire shoot gets completed that same month.
Music & Soundtrack
Music: Shashwat Sachdev
Lyricist(s): Irshad Kamil (and others)
Music rights: Saregama
Original compositions and recreations feature on the soundtrack in equal measure:
Title track (“Dhurandhar”) — released 15 October 2025; notably samples and reworks the 1995 Punjabi track “Na Dil De Pardesi Nu” (original by Muhammad Sadiq & Ranjit Kaur); features guest vocals from the likes of Jasmine Sandlas and Hanumankind.
“Ishq Jalakar (Karvaan)” — Released 25 November 2025; a recreation inspired by the qawwali “Na To Karvan Ki Talash Hai” from Barsaat Ki Raat, 1960.
“Gehra Hua” — third single released on 27 November 2025, featuring strong vocalists, and expected to be central to promotional activity.
The soundtrack’s blend of remakes, folk elements, and contemporary arrangements thus hopes to strike a chord with mass audiences while mirroring cultural settings.
Marketing & Promotional Strategy
Promotions began on 6 July 2025, with a first-look poster and teaser on Ranveer’s 40th birthday, and used social momentum effectively. The trailer launch was postponed because of the real world event that involved the 2025 Delhi car explosion but finally premiered on 18 November 2025 at an event at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, signaling a big marketing push.
The team planned the music album launch for 1 December 2025, rolling out singles in advance of the theatrical release to build listener familiarity and ticket anticipation.
Controversies & Legal Challenges
The close mapping of the film to real-life events created legal and ethical friction:
Major Mohit Sharma family petition: The family filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release, alleging unpermitted use or depiction of Major Mohit Sharma’s life and covert operations. Filmmakers denied that the film is a biopic, but such litigation raises sensitive questions about storytelling boundaries when dramatizing national security events.
Objections by Chaudhary Aslam’s family: Chaudhary Aslam’s widow protested against the role of her husband and threatened legal action on account of any incorrect or defamatory portrayal.
These challenges underline the delicate balance required between creative license and responsible representation when a work of fiction draws heavily upon identifiable real persons and incidents.
Certification & International Classifications
Also, the film has received an A certificate from CBFC due to strong sequences of violence and intense subject matter. Similarly, in the UK, it was rated 18 by BBFC for containing strong violence. These classifications will have a direct impact on how accessible the movie is to viewers and thus also on marketing strategies.
Conclusion
Dhurandhar is a pretty big-ticket cinematic ambition that marries high-octane espionage thrills with real-world inspirations. With Ranveer Singh fronting a powerhouse ensemble and Aditya Dhar at the helm, the film promises to be one for those rewind-reaching set pieces, but also for the ethical questions it raises for narrativizing real-world happenings. As the date of 5 December 2025 draws close, social media will likely be filled with hot takes, passionate fan responses, and even a barrage of critical reviews. Whether Dhurandhar will be remembered as a spy-thriller benchmark or a polarizing near-miss rests on its narrative integrity, acting acumen, and also on how well it toggles between spectacle and sensitivity.
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