Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge sets ‘a new benchmark for Indian cinema’, says former Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran

Pankaj Saran, the former Deputy National Security Advisor of India, has heaped praise on Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge, calling it a new benchmark for Indian cinema. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, released in theatres worldwide on March 19.

In an interview with ANI, Pankaj Saran lauded the film’s execution and its depiction of real-life-inspired events, noting how it aligns with global filmmaking standards.

“I love the film. I love Dhurandhar 2 more than Dhurandhar 1. I mean, minus the violence, which I thought was a little over the top but I think in terms of cinema, in terms of production, in terms of skills, in terms of quality, I think it sets a new benchmark for the Indian film industry. I think it's going to be very difficult for anyone to match up," said Pankaj Saran.

‘Professional and in keeping with global filmmaking’

He also compared the film to Hollywood war movies and praised the director’s use of artistic liberty.

“You know, we've grown up with seeing all kinds of war movies, but they were so amateurish. This one is really professional. So now, when it comes to the actual film, I mean, look, a lot of these incidents, names, people are real, are true and we've grown up in an era when we were fed with Hollywood films which would make caricatures of Nazis, of the Russians, and create that enemy image, and really challenge your imagination, and you'd buy it all. So I think it's fine if the director has decided to use artistic license to exaggerate a particular story and it's all based on real incidents. I think it needs no justification because it is pretty much in keeping with the culture of movie making globally," he added.

Strong box office run continues

Meanwhile, the film continues its strong run at the box office. According to Sacnilk, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has crossed the Rs 900 crore mark in just 13 days of its release.

The film stars Ranveer Singh in the lead, alongside Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi and Sanjay Dutt. Yami Gautam also features in a cameo.



Dhurandhar: The Revenge is the sequel to Dhurandhar, which released last year. The film marks the second directorial venture of Aditya Dhar after his National Award-winning debut Uri: The Surgical Strike, starring Vicky Kaushal.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”