Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal found herself at the centre of a fresh Bollywood storm after sharing a blunt, late-night reaction to Dhurandhar following its Netflix release. The post didn’t name the film, but social media didn’t need clues — and the fallout was swift.
The Dhadak 2 director called the Ranveer Singh-led film “sinister,” accusing it of openly encouraging hate and violence. Within hours, screenshots of her Instagram story were circulating widely, triggering sharp criticism and personal attacks. Soon after, Iqbal made her Instagram account private.
What Shazia Iqbal Actually Said
In her now-viral Instagram story, Iqbal wrote:
“What a sinister film! It’s not hidden, it’s not unintentional — inciting hate and violence is in the DNA of the film.”
She followed that with a biting remark aimed at the industry:
“But it’s a ‘well-made’ film, guys… with some cool BGM. Well done, industry dude bros. Glad that most of y’all don’t care about minorities enough to even hide your blatant apathy.”
Though she never named the film, viewers quickly connected the dots to Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which stars Ranveer Singh in the lead.
Social Media Pushback Turns Personal
As screenshots spread across Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), criticism poured in — not just of her opinion, but of her career.
One X user sarcastically referenced her past work as a production designer, writing, “Did Shazia Iqbal watch her own project ‘Sacred Games’ for the first time? Or was it ‘Housefull 2’?” Another post accused her of performative outrage, suggesting she was “trying to look cool” while dismissing the film’s intent.
With the backlash escalating, Iqbal quietly switched her previously public Instagram profile to private, effectively stepping back from the online crossfire.
She’s Not Alone in Questioning the Film’s Politics
Iqbal is far from the only industry voice to express discomfort with Dhurandhar’s ideological undertones.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently acknowledged enjoying the film while also criticising certain choices.
“I liked the film, but I didn’t like some of the ideologies,” Kashyap said, pointing specifically to lines like ‘This is the new India’ and a prolonged political monologue. According to him, those moments were unnecessary and didn’t add to the film’s overall impact.
Actor Hrithik Roshan also struck a nuanced tone after the film’s release in December. While praising its craft, he openly admitted disagreeing with its politics, writing that filmmakers must still reflect on their responsibilities as citizens — even while learning from the film as students of cinema.
A Massive Film, A Divisive Response
Dhurandhar features a heavyweight ensemble including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun.
Despite the criticism, the film was a box office juggernaut, collecting over ₹1,328 crore worldwide before making its OTT debut on Netflix. Its sequel, Dhurandhar 2, is already locked for a theatrical release on March 19.
Final Words
Shazia Iqbal’s comments may have been brief, but they reopened a much larger conversation around ideology, responsibility, and who gets to question blockbuster narratives in Bollywood. The speed with which her criticism turned into a personal pile-on also highlights how unforgiving online discourse has become — especially when politics, cinema, and power intersect.
As Dhurandhar 2 gears up for release, the debate around the franchise is clearly far from over — and neither is the industry’s internal reckoning with what its biggest films choose to say, or not say.
