Dhurandhar: Film Critics Guild condemns targeted attacks, harassment over reviews of Aditya Dhar directorial

Dhurandhar, helmed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, was released in cinemas on December 5. The film has been gaining its momentum at the box office, while on the other hand, it seems to be in hot water after the Film Critics Guild of India (FCG) issued a statement in which they condemned the targeted attacks, harassment, and hate towards critics over reviews. Let's delve into it to know more details.

Film Critics Guild of India issues statement over Dhurandhar reviews

FCG took to the social media platform and released a statement in which they stated, "The Film Critics Guild (FCG) strongly condemns the targeted attacks, harassment, and hate directed towards film critics for their reviews of Dhurandhar. What began as a disagreement has rapidly devolved into coordinated abuse, personal attacks on individual critics, and organised attempts to discredit their professional integrity.

Also Read: Best of Dilip Kumar: Mughal-E-Azam, Devdas, Shakti- 10 Iconic movies every Bollywood fan must watch

The statement further added, "In recent days, several of our members have faced intimidation, including direct threats and vicious online campaigns aimed at silencing their perspectives, simply for expressing their professional assessment of a film. More concerningly, there have been attempts to tamper with existing reviews, influence editorial positions, and persuade publications to alter or dilute their stance."

Also Read: Bha Bha Ba: Mohanal's cameo garners mixed reaction from netizens; Here's why

With a lengthy note condemning the situation, the statement concluded, "This moment demands collective reflection. At stake is more than a single film. The integrity of cultural discourse depends on the ability of critics to speak freely and without fear. We call for restraint, respect and a commitment to the principles that allow art, debate and criticism to coexist.

All about Dhurandhar

For the unversed, Dhurandhar is inspired by true events. The movie begins in 1999 with the Kandahar hijack incident, when an Indian flight's passengers were held hostage for seven days, and the country was forced to release three terrorists, including Masood Azhar.

Also Read: K-pop group Winner former member Nam Tae Hyun admits to drunk driving charges

The action-thriller is written, directed, and co-produced by Aditya Dhar. Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar under the banners Jio Studios and B62 Studios. Apart from Ranveer Singh, the film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Manav Gohli, Raj Zutshi, Saumya Tandon, and Bimal Oberoi, among others.

Before the release, Dhurandhar had a brush-off with a legal case which was filed by the late Major Mohit Sharma's family. Reportedly, they had moved into the court in demand of an urgent stay on the release, alleging that the film takes unauthorised inspiration from the army officer's life. Later, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the petition.

Also Read: Rajinikanth reveals why 1999 film Padayappa has no presence on OTT platforms

The matter had arisen after the release of the film's trailer, in which the fans began to draw comparisons between Ranveer Singh's character, who is reportedly a covert Indian intelligence agent, and the late Major Mohit Sharma, an Ashoka Chakra (posthumous) and Sena Medal awardee. Major Sharma served with the Indian Army’s 1 Para (Special Forces) and was killed in action on March 21, 2009, in Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir.