Reactions to the Bollywood film Dhurandhar have been divided in both India and Pakistan. While many acknowledged its technical prowess, a significant number of viewers saw its high-production values as a veneer for what they perceived as another cinematic effort to cast Pakistan in a negative light.
Adding his voice to the criticism on Wednesday, actor Imran Abbas took to Instagram to challenge the filmmakers. He accused them of turning cinema into a "vehicle of hatred, hostility and division." For Abbas, the issue transcends nationalism; it represents a "dangerous misuse of cinema itself." He argued that art should "uplift hearts," not "poison minds," and that its true purpose is to "build bridges" and "awaken empathy," not to "glorify prejudice." He warned that "hatred dressed up as art…may earn profits and applause, but it leaves behind scars."
Drawing from his own experience in Bollywood, Abbas emphasized the power of narrative, stating, "What we normalise on screen slowly settles into our collective conscience." He firmly believes that art "carries responsibility."
In a separate Facebook post on Tuesday, Abbas expressed dismay at Pakistanis who watched and praised the film, calling their behavior "truly shameful." He contended that if the roles were reversed, Indian society would rightly unite in condemnation. To him, the film "slaps us in the face and calls it entertainment," and supporting it is not open-mindedness but "beghairati(shamelessness), loss of dignity and self-respect."
