Hotmail co-founder and tech entrepreneur Sabeer Bhatia has launched a scathing critique of blockbuster spy-action film Dhurandhar (starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar), calling it “disgusting” and accusing it of pushing revenge and hate over any meaningful thought. In a video review posted on Instagram on February 24, 2026, Bhatia warned viewers that mainstream cinema is increasingly built to provoke, not empower.
Captioning the post, he wrote: “Movies today aren’t made to emotionally empower you. They’re engineered to trigger you. Be cautious!”
In the clip, Bhatia said: “I just watched Dhurandhar. Emotionally charged, sensationalism, drama — but where is the intellectual component in this? All it is spreading is the message of revenge and hate. It’s disgusting.”
Concerns Over Impact on Youth
Bhatia expressed particular worry about the film’s effect on younger viewers, arguing it encourages emotional reactivity rather than thinking. “We don’t want our kids to be emotional reactors. We want the younger generation to be logical thinkers. Zero creativity… I don’t think there is any entertainment in watching senseless killings and revenge,” he said, adding that it promotes “a certain line of thinking that is terrible.”
He also criticised what he described as the film’s sweeping portrayal of nations and institutions: “Individuals are good or bad, not countries,” urging audiences to “reject the movie Dhurandhar wholeheartedly.”
Film’s Commercial Success Amid Backlash
Despite polarised reactions, Dhurandhar has remained a major commercial force. The film released theatrically on December 5, 2025, crossed the ₹1300 crore mark worldwide in reported tallies, and later expanded its reach after its Netflix debut on January 30, 2026.
Bhatia also took aim at sequel chatter in a separate post, writing: “How much more hate are you going to package as entertainment? You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
—By Manoj H