DHURANDHAR.. it’s about the choices we make..

There is a movie that Bollywood has brought us called “Dhurandhar” recently.. it translates to something “intensely powerful.. and that’s exactly what this movie WAS.. intense and powerful in addition to being extremely gory violent and chock a block full of foul language..

I didn’t go in expecting a fairytale.. and was told that I should just close my eyes during the gory scenes so I went mentally prepared (or so I thought).. The movie basically traces a trail of terror attacks launched by Pakistan on India beginning with the Kandahar hijacking..

The movie started and very soon the violene started and then the gore and it just kept getting more and more intense until it got to a point where one of the heroes (?) picks up a 5 kg weight from a vegetable cart and smashes someone’s head to a bloody pulpy mess with it! That was the point at which my friend and I walked out of the theatre and came home.. it took a good twenty minutes of sitting quietly holding hands and waiting for our heartbeats to slow down and our pulses to normalize before we could affirm to ourselves that “NOW.. all is well.. all is well”..

When I spent some time reflecting on the experience.. I realized that the film disturbed me perhaps a little disproportionately (because of my close call on 26/11) but also for other reasons.. I would just like to share my reasons here and of course I would welcome other opinions as well but this is a sort of catharsis for me..

First and foremost.. I go to a movie to be entertained.. The way I see it is that we all have stress in our lives.. so why would we want to spend money and go to be frightened out of our wits and be disturbed out of our minds? My idea of entertainment is a nice “happy-clappy chick flick” that has a happy ever after ending.. or else smething truly inspirational that brings me a message..

I am truly amazed at the number of people who have loved the movie.. the special effects and cinematography may be wonderful but SO GORY.. is it possible to walk out of the theatre unmoved and unaffected when it ends? Am told on good authority that the sequel to this movie which is expected to release early next year (2026) is ten times more intense than this one.. that that is scary!

I know it’s a very “guy thing” to enjoy watching violence and action.. but who enjoys gore and bloodshed? It was shocking for me to see the absolute depths of cruelty that human beings are capable of inflicting on each other! Maybe I am too much of a “softie” but I want to know what makes us choose to watch films like these..

We are pleading stress at home.. pressure at the workplace and challenges in relationships.. shouldn’t we be watching reading and listening to things that inspire us.. enlighten us and uplift us? Somewhere along the way.. these scenes and dialogues stay in our minds and play on our minds too.. and pulling ourselves out of those feelings becomes difficult!

Life is full of choices.. and all I want to say is that I choose gratitude.. kindness.. compassion and “karuna” over anger greed violence and cruelty every time! That is my “mantra and I believe in it so strongly that I have had it tattooed on my forearm so it’s an unspoken gentle reminder every time I look at it and am reassured that “all is well”.. The choices we make are what define us as human beings.. and that’s very important food for thought..

Thank you as always for reading and do please share your name along with the comment (if you should choose to write one).. Feedback is always welcome too and once again I reiterate.. these are simply MY thoughts!