Smriti Irani calls Akshaye Khanna a lesson, backs Dhurandhar amid success: ‘Forever in your debt’

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar's latest release, Dhurandhar, continues to receive glorious reviews on social media. The film, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna in the lead, was released on 5 December. Actor and politician Smriti Irani became the latest one to hail the film team in a detailed review of Dhurandhar.

Smriti Irani says Dhurandhar shouldn't lead anyone to outrage

Irani took to her Instagram account and called Dhurandhar the echo of lives lost. She wrote, “If you have looked into the eyes of the wife of a fallen soldier & walked her to the cremation ground, if you have visited the Jagti camp in Jammu, if you have seen the deserted temple premises of Sharika Devi in Srinagar, if you have met those who were on duty during Parliament attack or have family that survived the 26/11 Mumbai attack then nothing in Dhurandhar should lead you to outrage - after all it's just a film.”

Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, and Sara Arjun.

The film is based on a mysterious man, Hamza Ali Mazari (played by Singh), who infiltrates the gang of Rehman Dakait (played by Khanna).

She began by praising the director, Aditya Dhar, in her post. She went on to praise the cast of the film individually and said, "As a storyteller @adityadharfilms is a craftsperson par excellence, as a research fiend even more so. It's the quivering face as he pulls the cover off a dead son that makes #akshayekhanna's performance a lesson in craft & @ranveersingh's piercing eyes that speak when he doesn't is a must watch for those who aspire to be consistent in their pursuit of a legacy, that @rampal72 can be so menacing is a revelation ... & the music OMG."

The former Minister of Education of India, had a rare mention of the casting director, Mukesh Chhabra and said, “When a director's passion meets the keen eye of a casting director like Mukesh @castingchhabra you can be rest assured the screen will explode.”

“Dhurandhar isn't just a film”

“Dhurandhar isn't just a film - it's the echo of lives lived and lost; and if cinema can make you feel that weight, maybe you owe it more than outrage,” she also said.

Irani also mentioned R Madhavan: “Those like me who have had the privilege of being in the vicinity of a legend called Ajit Doval may find it a tad bit weird to watch @actormaddy presumably play a cinematic version of him but then there could have been no better actor who could so calmly hold a storm within.”

She ended her note by saying, "To the men and women known and unknown who have died defending us and are still in pursuit of justice for the everyday Indian - Dhanyawad; our Nation holds you in high esteem and is forever in your debt."

R Madhavan responds to Smriti Irani

In reply to her post, R Madhavan commented, “As clichéd as it ma sound.. it really means the world to me coming from you … I am so touched d and feel so empowered. Thank you so very much.” “Thank you so much. Coming from you, this truly means a lot,” Chhabra said.

Karan Johar to Aditya Dhar

Meanwhile, Karan Johar, who previously worked with Ranveer Singh, also praised the film. On his Instagram Story, he called the film “outstanding.”