Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, has become the talk of the town since its release. From audiences to industry insiders, the spy thriller has been receiving widespread praise. Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej also lauded the film and, in the process, took a dig at Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan.
Ricky Kej reviews Dhurandhar
Sharing his thoughts, Ricky Kej wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Was travelling non-stop and took a short break to watch #Dhurandhar — and WOW! Indian cinema coming of age. The 3.5-hour runtime goes by in a flash, leaving us asking for more. The performances, editing and dialogues are all absolutely top-notch. Incredible music by @shashwatology. A spy thriller done correctly. Technically brilliant — every department has excelled. A big, hearty congratulations to the genius captain of the ship, @AdityaDharFilms. He has now proven himself to be the best and incapable of anything less than brilliance. (I had the pleasure of meeting him once in 2001!).”
Ricky takes a dig at Pathaan
He added, “P.S.: The tiny few who are criticising the film have probably not watched it. It shows things as they are — gruesome or otherwise — with no sugar-coating. It is certified adult, so you would be foolish to take your children. People criticising the film probably prefer movies with a sexy female Pakistani ISI agent dancing in a bikini to ‘Besharam Rang’. That is cinema according to them.”
About Pathaan
Directed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan was a spy action thriller starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in lead roles. The film is part of the YRF Spy Universe and emerged as an all-time blockbuster, collecting ₹1,050 crore worldwide. However, it also courted controversy over Padukone’s appearance in a saffron-coloured bikini in the song Besharam Rang.
About Ricky Kej
Ricky Kej is a four-time Grammy nominee and a three-time Grammy Award-winning musician. He won his first Grammy in 2015 for Winds of Samsara in the Best New Age Album category. His second Grammy came in 2022 for Divine Tides, a collaboration with Stewart Copeland, in the same category. He won his third Grammy at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for Divine Tides in the Best Immersive Audio Album category.
About Dhurandhar
Inspired by real-life incidents, the spy action thriller is written and directed by Aditya Dhar. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and R Madhavan in lead roles, along with Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, Danish Pondar and Naveen in pivotal roles.
While Dhurandhar received mixed reviews from critics—many pointing out its lengthy runtime and pacing—the film struck a chord with audiences. Strong word of mouth has helped it become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025 within just eight days of release. The film has so far collected ₹372 crore worldwide.
Fans are now eagerly awaiting its sequel, which is scheduled to release on March 19, 2026, and will clash with Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for the Grown-Ups.
