Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has weighed in on the online storm surrounding critics who reviewed Dhurandhar unfavourably, describing the backlash as organised rather than spontaneous. Speaking in a recent conversation with critic Sucharita Tyagi on her YouTube channel, Kashyap said that social media outrage driven by fan clubs is often “coordinated” and not purely emotional reactions.
Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh along with Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt, turned out to be a massive commercial success, reportedly earning over ₹1300 crore worldwide. However, the film received mixed critical responses. While many praised its scale and performances, others raised concerns about its political undertones, calling it agenda-driven.
Following these reviews, several critics faced intense trolling online, prompting the Film Critics Guild of India to issue a statement condemning the attacks and defending independent criticism.
Kashyap, who publicly appreciated aspects of the film but expressed reservations about its politics, clarified that disagreement is natural. What troubled him, he said, was the scale and pattern of abuse. “Disagreement is organic. Coordinated attacks are not,” he remarked, suggesting that some of these campaigns are structured efforts rather than genuine reactions.
Citing broader discussions about the creation of fan club culture, Kashyap argued that hero worship in cinema has long been cultivated. Meanwhile, the Dhurandhar franchise continues its momentum, with Dhurandhar: The Revenge set to hit screens next month.
