Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has criticised the storytelling in films like Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, arguing that Hindi cinema is increasingly losing its focus on original stories. Speaking at an event, Dhulia cited Dhurandhar as an example of what he sees as the decline of storytelling in mainstream Hindi cinema. While he praised the film’s presentation and entertainment value, he argued that its plot could be reduced to a very basic premise.

Tigmanshu Dhulia on Dhurandhar: ‘Is that a story?’

At an event organised by The Wire on ‘The State of Media and Film Industry’, Dhulia discussed how corporate culture has influenced the kind of films being made today. He named commercial hits such as Pushpa, KGF and Dhurandhar, arguing that many mainstream films now follow similar templates and described them as “fictional biopics”.

“Because it is a corporate culture, the same kind of films are being made. Every film is a biopic, a fictional biopic. Every film, you can watch Pushpa, you can watch KGF, Dhurandhar. I am talking about commercial mainstream cinema,” he said.

Dhulia then turned his attention to Dhurandhar, making it clear that his criticism was not about the film’s execution. He said he enjoyed the first instalment and praised its presentation, music and ability to keep audiences engaged.

“If I ask you to tell me the story of Dhurandhar, I liked that film by the way, the first part. Very well presented, very engaging, good use of music.”

Dhulia questioned whether the film’s story could be explained beyond its basic premise.

“But if you ask someone to tell you its story, you won’t be able to tell the story of Dhurandhar. There is a man, he is a cover spy, he goes to Pakistan and wreaks havoc there. Is that a story? Stories have disappeared from films.”

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According to him, filmmakers with unconventional ideas are often discouraged from pursuing them because of concerns about whether such films will find an audience.

“For one, the people who tell stories have disappeared, and those who want to tell them are not allowed to make them. They are not allowed to tell those stories because they think, ‘This story won’t work.’ There is only one template.”

Dhulia attributed this growing uniformity to what he described as the effects of extreme capitalism. He argued that the loss of individuality is visible not only in cinema but also in everyday life, with people and cities increasingly beginning to look alike.

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“This is what extreme capitalism does; people also start looking the same. Go anywhere, everybody looks the same. Every city has started looking the same. The character of every city has disappeared.”

The filmmaker then gave the example of his hometown Allahabad, saying the city has lost some of the distinct identity it once had.

🎬 Tigmanshu Dhulia on Dhurandhar

Praises its presentation & music but questions its depth: “An undercover spy goes to Pakistan and causes havoc… is that really a story?” 🤔

He says corporate pressure is killing original storytelling. Do you agree? 👇#TigmanshuDhulia pic.twitter.com/XsAFKrzHzs

— Tilu Badmosh 12 (@tilubadmosh12) September 8, 2026

“My city, Allahabad, which was once a beautiful city, now looks like any other city. The same malls, the same cars, everything is the same. This kind of political system kills individuality.”

About Dhurandhar

The Dhurandhar films follow Ranveer Singh’s character, an undercover Indian intelligence operative who enters Pakistan and infiltrates Karachi’s criminal and political networks. His mission is linked to dismantling a terror network targeting India.

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The franchise features a large ensemble cast, including Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan and Sara Arjun, along with Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera and Danish Pandor. Both films have been written and directed by Aditya Dhar.

The two movies have together earned more than Rs 3,000 crore at the worldwide box office, making Dhurandhar one of Bollywood’s most successful film franchises.

Who is Tigmanshu Dhulia?

Tigmanshu Dhulia is a National Award-winning filmmaker and actor best known for directing Haasil and Paan Singh Tomar, which starred his frequent collaborator, the late Irrfan Khan.

Dhulia is currently awaiting the release of Ghamasaan, his upcoming ZEE5 Original starring Arshad Warsi and Pratik Gandhi. The film is scheduled to premiere on ZEE5 on September 11.