RGV calls Ranveer's 'Dhurandhar' a 'very realistic Mahabharata'
What's the story
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently praised Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, calling it a "very realistic Mahabharata." The film, starring Ranveer Singh, has been performing exceptionally well at the box office since its release on December 5. In an interview with NDTV's Shiv Aroor, Varma explained why he thinks the movie is a realistic take on the epic tale of the Mahabharata.
Character analysis
Varma compared 'Dhurandhar' characters to 'Mahabharata'
Varma drew a "fundamental difference" between the characters in his 1998 crime film Satya and those in Dhurandhar. He said, "I think it's somewhere between the characters of real life and Mahabharata." He added that every character in Dhurandhar is like a psychological play of violence. "So that is what I meant by psychological play of violence-the very word Dakait itself."
Director's insight
Varma praised Dhar's character development in 'Dhurandhar'
Varma also commended Dhar for his attention to detail in developing the characters of Dhurandhar. He recalled his conversations with Satya's lead actor, Manoj Bajpayee, emphasizing the importance of body language in portraying different characters. "So likewise in Dhurandhar, every character-I could see that a brief was given by the director exactly [on] his body language, the way he sits, he looks, and everything."
Genre comparison
Varma compared 'Dhurandhar' to 'Gadar' and 'The Godfather'
Varma also drew parallels between Sunny Deol's Gadar and Dhar's Dhurandhar, both set against the backdrop of Pakistan. However, he noted differences in their protagonists. He said, "He (Sunny Deol) says 'Dhai kilo ka haath,' then he starts shouting and all that in the most unreal manner." "And here, Hamza (Singh) doesn't even speak most of the time. I mean, you don't even know what he's thinking or what he's up to and all that."
Cinematic comparison
Varma compared 'Dhurandhar' to 'The Godfather'
Varma also compared Dhar's Dhurandhar with Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. He said, "Godfather is like a song, I mean, which they shoot in the bedroom, you know, between two people with all the flower suggestion and close-ups of hands and all that." "Whereas Dhurandhar is like the Haaye Rama song-they're doing it out in the open in a public place, in broad daylight, but the emotion is the same."
Film overview
'Dhurandhar' plot and cast details
Dhurandhar, released on December 5, features an ensemble cast including Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal. The spy-action thriller revolves around India's Intelligence Bureau creating a deep-cover operative to infiltrate Karachi's Lyari underworld and dismantle a terror nexus involving Pakistani gangs and the ISI. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1999 Kandahar hijacking and the 2001 Parliament attack. The sequel will release on March 19, 2026.