Who is ‘Bade Sahab’ in Dhurandhar? The mystery figure in the heart of Ranveer Singh, Aditya Dhar's blockbuster spy saga

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ has ignited an intense online debate following its release, with viewers dissecting a key narrative thread involving a mysterious figure known only as “Bade Sahab”.

Who is Bade Sahab? Internet debates

The character is repeatedly referenced in the film by Sanjay Dutt’s SP Chaudhary Aslam, but never fully revealed on screen — a choice that has since fuelled speculation across social media platforms.

Soon after the film hit theatres, Reddit threads and posts on X began examining the possible real-life inspirations behind “Bade Sahab”.

Several users have pointed to historical and geopolitical parallels woven into Dhurandhar, arguing that the unnamed figure could be linked to notorious individuals such as Dawood Ibrahim or Masood Azhar, while others have floated even more expansive theories.

The speculation gained further traction after viewers noticed that Wikipedia’s cast list — as well as the film’s end credits — mention Dawood Ibrahim being portrayed by Danish Iqbal.

This discovery has led many to believe that the filmmakers may have deliberately embedded clues while stopping short of explicit confirmation within the film itself.

One widely shared theory connects the character to Masood Azhar, drawing on events depicted early in the film.

Fans theorise who Bade Sahab in Dhurandhar is

As one Reddit user wrote, "'Bade Sahab' could either be Dawood Ibrahim or Masood Azhar. The IC 814 hijackers sought release of terrorist Masood Azhar. We see that event right in Chapter 1 of 'Dhurandhar'. So, showing Azhar as Bade Sahab could meaning a full circle moment. That's more appealing storywise. Sanyal must have personal animosity against Azhar for sure. But, could be very much Dawood Ibrahim too (sic)."

Other theories have ranged far wider. One user speculated, “My wild wild guess - bade sahab is Osama.”

Another comment focused squarely on the casting detail spotted in the credits, stating, "It's obvious that jaskirat will be caught and tortured and killed... Danish iqbal, a very good actor is going to play dawood's role"

Some fans have gone beyond individual names, suggesting the character may represent a composite of power rather than a single person. One post read:

"Idk man. Dawood Ibrahim makes sense cause of the financial power. Maybe he could be even ISI/Pak army chief as well. Even Nawaz Shariff could be one of the guys. The film can end with him getting in exile and Imran Khan taking over."

The debate has also spilled onto X, with users speculating about what the sequel could explore. One reaction read, "Is there is scene related to Dawood in part 2 than it's gonna be very lit"

Another added a note of caution about expectations, “Let's see if Dawood Ibrahim is just the bade Sahab villain or just a reference character in the movie”

Given Dhurandhar’s stated inspiration from real-world geopolitical events and covert operations, the ambiguity around “Bade Sahab” appears deliberate.

Whether the character is eventually revealed as a specific individual or remains symbolic may only become clear in the film’s second part — but for now, the unanswered question has become one of the most talked-about aspects of the movie’s post-release discourse.