Ranveer Singh’s upcoming film Dhurandhar has created a huge uproar through its trailer, in which the filmmaker Aditya Dhar has been accused of showing brutality in an extreme manner by YouTuber and commentator Dhruv Rathee. Posting on X, Rathee compared the visuals to “ISIS beheadings,” charging Dhar with making bloodshed look attractive in the name of entertainment. The objection raised by him rapidly turned into one of the most talked-about issues of the day on the internet, with many people giving their opinions about the issue raised.
Aditya Dhar has truly crossed a limit of cheapness in Bollywood.
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) November 18, 2025
The extreme violence, gore and torture shown in his latest film trailer is the equivalent of watching ISIS beheadings and calling it “entertainment”.
His lust for money is so unhinged that he is willingly…
Rathee Calls the Trailer “Equivalent to ISIS Beheadings”
Dhruv Rathee was very critical about the trailer’s cruelty, calling it brutal imagery and stating that they were showing “not entertainment but trauma.” He accused the filmmakers of dragging people in and stirring up the discussion by using hyper-graphic violence. Rathee argues that the trailer has lost the ethical battle by making cruelty accepted and especially spoken of in connection with the children and teenagers who might be exposed to such unmonitored content.
He also said that Aditya Dhar is “massively poisoning the young people’s minds,” claiming that he is praising “torture and gore” just for making money. Rathee has called on the CBFC to act as a responsible body that only censors kissing scenes while letting violence go by unopposed.
What the Dhurandhar Trailer Shows
Dhurandhar, an Aditya Dhar-directed film, has a remarkable cast of actors such as Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Akshaye Khanna. The teaser shows a harsh spy thriller surrounded by murder, difficult fighting events, and intense torture visuals.
This hyper-realistic style of cinematography has caused a split among the viewers, as some group considers it a daring artistic decision, while some group thinks it exceeds the frontier of what is considered acceptable in the mainstream industry.
The trailer of Dhurandhar was unveiled at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, which was attended by Aditya Dhar, lead actor Ranveer Singh, and other cast members. Besides the lead actors, the film’s significant roles are played by Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi. The film, which is a thrilling action drama, is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 5.
Why Rathee Says It’s Dangerous
Rathee holds the opinion that violence is interpreted differently in society depending on how the media presents it. He fears that the above-mentioned movies might be a step towards brutalization of the audience, especially when they are cut off from any moral implications and marketed heavily. The critic argues that violence for the purpose of shocking people and with no other meaning can numb the audience.
He further criticized the CBFC’s position by asking the board why it is more prone to censor erotic or romantic scenes than violence.
Broader Questions About Film Ethics
This backlash has triggered important discussions: Where is the line between artistic expression and irresponsibility? Is the film industry pushing violent imagery too far for the sake of viral marketing? And should filmmakers reconsider how they approach brutality in mainstream cinema?
While the debate goes on, Dhurandhar has unintentionally turned into a case study for India’s continuing discourse on violent storytelling, ethics, and audience responsibility.
