Dhurandhar’s success proves conviction beats narrative wars: Anupam Kher

Actor Anupam Kher said the success of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has rebutted attempts to label it as propaganda, asserting that audience approval, not narratives, determines a film’s impact and place in cinema history

Mumbai: Veteran actor Anupam Kher has praised heaped praise on Aditya Dhar’s “Dhurandhar”, saying the film has risen above accusations of being “propaganda” and added the response to the film was a “slap” to those attempting to label it.

In a heartfelt video message shared from abroad, Anupam said that despite having no association with the film, its success filled him with an unexpected sense of peace and pride.

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“I don’t have a role in this film. I am not connected to anything. But I don’t know why, with the success of this film, my heart is very peaceful. And I have felt peace and pride. I have felt pride. His great success.”

The actor said he won’t talk about the technicalities of the film and noted only a handful of films go on to become landmarks.

“For example, Godfather was a landmark film. Sholay was a landmark film. Mughal-e-Azam was a landmark film. If I have to include my films and the films I am not taking their names it means they are not landmark films. Because they are not in my mind. I am not making this video as a historian. I am making it as a cinema-goer”

He spoke about his films Saaransh, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, A Wednesday, Khosla Ka Ghosla!. He said that they were ‘path-breaking films. Because they gave a new perspective to cinema-goers.”

Praising director Aditya Dhar, Anupam said the filmmaker did not rely on patterns or preconceived formulas.

“But I like Dhurandar from Aditya Dhar. Not only because he is a Kashmiri. He comes from a family of people who were persecuted. And with his work, he has shown what success is all about. And what courage is all about. Not only because of that. As a filmmaker, he has not followed any pattern or formula. No formula. Just conviction.”

The actor said that even though the film has broken box-office record, it’s the “kind of people who are praising this film”

“This proves that there was a clique of people who were behind proving propaganda to the film. This is the same clique who tried to prove propaganda to the film. And they succeeded. This is the same film who tried to prove propaganda to The Kashmir Files. And I say, 30% of them succeeded. They debated. But Dhurandar has slapped such people.”

Anupam added: “‘He has slapped them. Don’t teach us what propaganda is. You are not going to decide what is a propaganda film. Don’t make us feel small. That is what the audience is saying to people like that.”

He shared that when people want “to make art look small for his purpose, for his selfish purpose, then one day art turns around and slaps you once and says that you can’t make me look small.”

He said that he is happy about that.

“But I am so generously proud and happy about the success of the film, and about the film shutting so many people’s thought processes. Try a lot. And people are calling me from abroad. I have nothing to do with them — that you have seen Dhurandar, you have done a great job.”

Calling 2025 a defining year for Aditya Dhar, Kher also mentioned the success of films featuring Yami Gautam, including Article 370 and Haqq.

“What an amazing journey you had. And in fact, this year belongs to you, my friend. Not only because of Dhurandar, but Yami’s films — Article 370, then Haqq. What a thing, my friend. What a thing. The pages of history. What are the pages of history? Today’s pages are important.”

Taking to the comment section, Aditya Dhar wrote: “Wow. This truly means so much, sir. Such pure emotion and generosity in your words… And to be mentioned in the same breath as those films is an honour I do not take lightly at all.”

The line you said “Don’t make us feel small, that is what the audience is saying,” holds so true in today’s time. It has always been my intention as a film maker. Words like these push me to do better. I hope to keep making films that are honest, fearless and hopefully stand the test of time. Truly overwhelmed right now!!”

In the caption section, Anupam mentioned that he felt a strong urge to “express my happiness over the success of Dhurandhar in a completely honest way”.

He added that “Dhurandhar is an extremely important film and a powerful emotion.”