‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ Review: A blaze of guns and glory, this Ranveer Singh-starrer is designed not just to entertain, but to enrapture

It’s always tough to match up to the first part of a film that creates history. Ironically, “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” faces comparisons with itself; in some parts, it scores higher and in others, it falls short.

The saga continues with Hamza Mazari aka Jaskirat Singh Rangi’s (Ranveer Singh) story, both past and present, and his quest for vengeance against the enemies of the state.

The film conveys that promising criminals languishing behind bars (who also happen to be deshbhakt) are given a chance to redeem themselves by becoming warriors for the country; even if the mission is to cause havoc and bloodshed in neighboring countries. Hamza is one such undercover agent working at the behest of National Security Advisor Ajit Sanyal (R. Madhavan).

“Dhurandhar” was never made as a two-part film. That is evidently clear when the second part takes off. The film swings right into action – no time to settle down; no pauses; just getting straight to the point. Hamza steers his way to becoming the ‘King of Lyari’ after Rehman Dakait’s death and then into the top echelons of Karachi’s political circles. Along the way, he meticulously exterminates all those who are or have been a threat to India.

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Compared to the first part, “Dhurandhar-The Revenge” has far more drama; far more action and tracks that are guaranteed to induce claps and whistles in theatres. The first part has also set the groundwork for huge anticipation on this one. “Dhurandhar” had the benefit of surprise: new characters, new sound, fresh visuals and treatment. The second part loses the novelty factor on that ground.

You miss Rehman Dakait and Akshaye Khanna’s swagger. For some reason, this time around, the scenes feel longer and the overall length of the film tires you after a point. The soundtrack, which was the highlight of the first part, doesn’t land as effectively; the choice of the retro songs also doesn’t match (maybe changing the music label is the reason?). The film lacks in the emotional quotient as the focus seems more on pure action and not character of relationship-building anymore. There’s a bit of tardiness also in the writing; situations and characters are conveniently placed at critical junctures.

But despite all the hiccups, “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” is a blast on screen; it lives up to the hype. Everything is scaled up. The characters get bigger parts, the violence is more intense, the machismo is more blatant, the Modi references are plenty with at least two appearances (the 2014 win and the demonetization speech) and the highlight – Bade Saab finally gets screen time. Aditya Dhar’s take on Dawood Ibrahim is by far the boldest take on the underworld don ever in Hindi film history.

Romance is almost nil in this version; female characters have no place in this spy drama. Even Yami Gautam’s guest appearance is gone in 60 seconds, in a film of 3 hours and 49 minutes run time. It’s clear; guys of all ages are going to be endlessly fascinated. The hyper-macho mechanics at play here have never been seen in a Hindi film before.

Quite clearly, Aditya Dhar is a masterful storyteller and “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” is like a whirlpool that just drags you in from the opening scene. It doesn’t let you come up for air, leave alone give you time to think if the proceedings are even probable or palpable.

The violence is most pronounced and designed to make you recoil. Human heads being severed and used as footballs; people are burned alive; guns blowing off male genitalia and swords sliding into people like meat on skewers. There are many charged moments that keep you on tenterhooks. It’s an adrenaline-packer with fiery performances and thrilling set-pieces.

The film is a foaming beast with a superlative ensemble cast (R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sunjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera and Danish Pandor). But what makes this movie a true blockbuster entertainer is the presence and performance of Ranveer Singh as Hamza/Jaskirat aka Dhurandhar – whether he is tearing into people or tearing up, you can’t look away. This is one of Ranveer’s finest acts. And not to take away from the other Dhuran‘dhar’ (Aditya), who has achieved GOAT status, as far as the audiences and the box-office is concerned.

A film about glory, honor, and sacrifice for one’s country makes it worthwhile for most audiences, especially when it comes to India-Pakistan. You want to surrender to its theatrical dizziness. Part of the fascination is that some of this really happened. “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” is designed not just to entertain, but to enrapture.