R Madhavan reacts to Dhurandhar being called propaganda: ‘Don’t understand how being Indian can be seen as wrong’
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Bollywood star R Madhavan of late addressed the criticism surrounding his films Dhurandhar (2025) and its sequel, Dhurandhar : The Revenge (2026), being called propaganda films by a certain section. The star clapped back at such claims and also questioned why it is wrong to be seen as Indian.
Adding to this, R Madhavan in a still from Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. 'What does it mean by ‘being overly Indian’?' During an interaction with Galatta Plus, he spoke about how Dhurandhar was labelled “propaganda” and also spoke about his directorial debut, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022), which many claimed emphasised being Indian. Responding to the same, he shared, “I don’t understand how being an Indian can be seen as a wrong thing. What does it mean by ‘being overly Indian’? I don’t know. Is it not okay to show myself as being ‘too Indian’? I don’t know. That’s not my conditioning; I showed that. This is not even a political statement. Dhurandhar was based in Pakistan. Good and bad things happen there as well, just as much as they do in India. So, I don’t understand what the ‘propaganda’ in it is."
Meanwhile, He added, “In Nambi sir’s (aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan) case, I only showed what happened in his life. How can I be honest with the story if I am afraid to show who he really is? He is a person who goes to the temple. GD Naidu (inventor and engineer), on the other hand, is a nastik (atheist). So, we can’t show such things (him going to temples) in the movie. I have to be true to that character. Because of that, one can’t say that I don’t believe in god or vice versa. I am an star, and my job is to portray things as they are. My personal opinion is that I want to enhance all the good things about India. That cannot be a crime.”
Notably, Madhavan admitted that from a young age, he was taught that the country is the most important thing and that what we do for it is also very important. He shared that he hasn't spoken ill of any political party, politician or political leader in any of his interviews and has even lauded their achievements irrespective of the political party they belong to.
As per the latest buzz, He admitted that when he has doubts about something, he doesn't talk about it, and he believes that it is his duty to support an elected politician when they become a Prime Minister or a Chief Minister. The star also clarified that, to date, no party — be it in Tamil Nadu or at the national level — has approached him asking him to promote them or inviting him to join them.
In further updates, On the work front, Madhavan's G.D.N. is currently running in theatres. He has Adhirshtasaali and Circle in the pipeline.
On top of that, Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through movie reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, star interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, star features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times