Hrithik Roshan landed in the crosshairs of X users on Thursday after saying that he doesn't agree with the political positioning of Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. However, the actor lauded the craft of the film.
Following backlash from netizens, Hrithik followed up with a second post hours later praising members of the film's cast individually.
The Aditya Dhar-directed feature, set in the late 2000s released on 5 December. Inspired by real events linked to India’s counter-terror operations in Pakistan, the film stars Ranveer Singh as Hamza, an Indian operative attempting to infiltrate the network of Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna).
In an Instagram story, Roshan wrote, “I love cinema, i love people who climb into a vortex and let the story take control, spin them shake them until what they want is purged out of them onto the screen. Dhurandhar is an example of that. Loved the storytelling. It's cinema”.
He followed it with a caveat: “I may disagree with the politics of it and argue about the responsibilities us filmmakers should bear as citizens of the world. Nevertheless, can't ignore how i loved and learnt from this one as a student of cinema. Amazing,” the Fighter actor wrote.
Hrithik Roshan's Instagram Story on 'Dhurandhar' Instagram
The remarks drew sharp reactions online, with sections of the film’s supporters criticising Roshan for raising political concerns.
Hours after the first Story, Hrithik posted another Story on Instagram praising the cast members of the film. "Still can't get DHURANDHAR out of my mind. @adityadharfilms you are an incredible maker man.@ranveersingh the silent to the fierce what a journey and so damn consistent. #akshaykhanna has always been my fav and this film is proof why. @actormaddy bloody mad grace, strength and dignity!! But man @rakeshbedi what you did was phenomenal.. what an ACT, brilliant !! A huge big round of applause for everyone especially the makeup and prosthetics dept! I can't wait for part 2," he wrote.
Hrithik's second post on 'Dhurandhar' Instagram
Earlier in the week, several film critics, who had criticised Dhar’s film, had been subject to brutal trolling on social media, prompting The Hollywood Reporter India’s Anupama Chopra to make her review video private.
The Film Critics Guild condemned these “targeted attacks and harassment faced by film critics and journalists” in a statement released on Thursday.
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Dhurandhar also features R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. A sequel is slated for release on 19 March, 2026.
