Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charitra (2010) was regarded as one of the most violent films in its time. Other movies have overtaken Rakta Charitra since, notably Nikhil Bhat’s Kill (2023). But Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has raced past every one of them.

Dhurandhar, a two-parter just like Rakta Charitra , is seething with the kind of torture porn of which the Indian censor board used to be leery. These inhibitions seemingly having vanished. The Adults-only vendetta saga dips freely into the Torture 101 manual. Brains are blown to bits, wires are driven into skin, people are hung from ceiling fans.

Barbarism is more than a stylistic choice in Dhar’s screenplay – it’s positioned as the chosen (and only) strategy to deal with Pakistan-sponsored terrorist strikes on India. In keeping wi

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