At the dawn of his 40th birthday on July 6, 2025, Ranveer Singh surprised fans with the adrenaline‑fueled first look of Dhurandhar, a gritty spy-revenge story helmed by Uri fame director Aditya Dhar. With shoulder-length hair, a thick beard, and a cigarette, Ranveer calmly enters a restaurant in the two-minute, forty-second trailer before erupting into violent action amidst Punjabi rap beats and blood-soaked retaliation. And the internet quite obviously got talking!
If the Dhurandhar first look is anything to go by, the audience is in for a ride. The ensemble, which includes leading performers Akshaye Khanna (in a terrifying antagonist role), Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan (who is supposed to play NSA Director Ajit Doval), and Arjun Rampal, suggests a high-stakes spy drama with a strong cast and a compelling plot.
Dhurandar cast is not the only exciting thing, though. The wait is what makes this drop unique. Ranveer hasn't been seen in a high-action outing for a long time, and his fans have been demanding that he give the gritty, next-level performance we witnessed in his previous smashes. Now that he's back, "Ghayal Ranveer" memes and jubilant compliments are all over the internet. Although some netizens have pointed out that he resembles Ranbir Kapoor's Animal appearance, the general impression is that Ranveer is back, and how!
Ranveer Singh takes centre stage
We know that Ranveer Singh has been away from the big screens for some time now. And while he played the male lead in Rocky Aur Ranii Ki Prem Kahaani, let’s be honest, Alia Bhatt and her Manish Malhotra sarees were simply all we noticed. So for an actor as dynamic as Ranveer Singh, what makes Dhurandhar a potential watershed moment?
First, this is Ranveer at his best: he's strong, vicious, and brimming with passion. Dhurandar seems like a serious business, as seen by the sultry combination of shoulder-length hair, smoky eyes, the character motivated by retaliation, and a setting that suggests missions set in Pakistan (though we learnt that it was filmed in Thailand for realism).
Second, Aditya Dhar (of Uri fame) adds emotional depth and battlefield realism, with what we think are subtle true-story inspirations associated with Major Mohit Sharma and Ajit Doval. For the uninitiated, NSA Ajit Doval, at one point lived in Pakistan undercover for years at a stretch and has been the mastermind for many stellar intelligence missions over the years.
Spy films in Bollywood
Have we seen a major shift in storytelling, and has the number of spy films increased in the past few years? Absolutely. But what has brought about this change?
From early jingoistic melodramas based on real wars and patriotic fervour to the glitzy, emotion-laden spectacles of the early 2000s, such as The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, starring Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra, to gritty, true-story-inspired thrillers like Madras Café and Romeo Akbar Walter, which combined political intrigue with personal sacrifice, to a high-octane franchise boom led by Yash Raj Films with Ek Tha Tiger (2012), War (2019), and Pathaan (2023), which featured slick action and stylish choreography, India's spy film journey has undergone a dramatic change. Finally, a new era of OTT realism has begun with mature, emotionally charged thrillers like Baby, Raazi, and Khufiya, where character depth and moral complexity frequently surpass blockbuster explosions.
And Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar is poised to blend nostalgia for the old spy‑romance genre with the raw emotional and historical realism we’ve come to crave.
Indian spy thrillers to add to your watchlist
Goodachari (2018)
Gopi, played by Adivi Sesh, is a driven RAW recruit whose life is turned upside down when he is falsely accused of killing his mentor on graduation day. After being labelled a terrorist, Gopi goes on the run and delves deeply into RAW's clandestine operations in an attempt to expose a sinister plot. Goodachari, which was written by Adivi Sesh and directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, astonishes with its deft twists, emotional stakes, and slick spycraft. It has received critical accolades, cult status, and a Zed Cine Award for script, making it one of Telugu cinema's best spy thrillers. Its ranking among the top 25 Telugu films of the decade was guaranteed by its heart-and-adrenaline balance.
Vishwaroopam (2013)
Kamal Haasan, who plays Mustafa, a stylish dance instructor with a lethal mission: to stop an imminent terror attack in Mumbai and New York, masterfully crafts this globe-trotting thriller. When his wife looks into his background, his secret identity is exposed, leading to shocking disclosures and fierce fighting. Vishwaroopam combines personal drama, espionage, and identity theft across several continents. Its dynamic choreography, technical skill, and Haasan's chameleon performances garnered both praise and criticism, which is characteristic of Indian spy films that revolutionised the genre.
Thuppakki (2012)
Vijay plays the role of Jagadish, an Indian Army intelligence officer who discovers a terrorist group that targets innocent people while they are asleep, making his return to Mumbai risky. Jagadish performs a high-stakes takedown by using cyber-sleuthing and undercover tactics. Thuppakki, which was directed by A.R. Murugadoss, combines cerebral espionage with mass entertainment punch: slick graphics, calibrated suspense, and personal stakes. The film, which was set in the midst of urban expansion, reinvigorated Tamil spy action with its blend of strategy, patriotism, and slick action, leading to several pan-Indian remakes.
Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
Salman Khan plays Tiger, a top RAW agent who travels throughout Dublin and Havana on missions. His secret efforts come to a halt when he unexpectedly develops feelings for Zoya, played by Katrina Kaif, an ISI undercover agent. Action, espionage, and forbidden passion collide in a high-octane way. Setting a new benchmark for glitz, excitement, and star power in Bollywood spy escapism, this Yash Raj Films blockbuster introduced India's first espionage universe.
War (2019)
War, a benchmark in Bollywood espionage, is a spectacular mentor-versus-protégé conflict between Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff that takes place across worldwide locations. In a cunning game of brain and muscle, Shroff chases after Roshan's renegade agent. Action in Indian cinema was revolutionised by the film's amazing choreography, aerial dogfights, and striking graphics. Directed by Siddharth Anand and a member of the YRF Spy Universe, it was so large, so stylish, and so swaggering that it sent Indian spy blockbusters into the stratosphere of film.
How many of these have you seen?