Meghna Gulzar says Raazi’s characters ‘aren’t any less patriotic’ than Dhurandhar’s: ‘Patriotism doesn’t need volume’
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar may both revolve around spies and patriotism, but the two filmmakers take very different approaches to telling their stories. While Meghna’s 2018 movie, starring Alia Bhatt as an Indian spy who secretly passes crucial defence secrets to India, explores patriotism through a more intimate and morally complex lens, Dhurandhar places violence and action at the centre of its narrative. In a recent interaction, Meghna opened up about the similarities and differences between the two films and how patriotism is portrayed on screen.
Adding to this, Meghna Gulzar spoke about Raazi and Dhurandhar. ‘Raazi’s characters aren’t any less patriotic than Dhurandhar’s characters’ Meghna spoke about the difference in how patriotism is portrayed in the two films during her appearance on the podcast Learn By KK Create. The director shared that both Raazi and Dhurandhar have patriotic characters, but how their journeys are shown on screen depends on the story the filmmaker is telling.
Meanwhile, When asked what she thinks about Dhurandhar and whether there is a difference between how she portrays patriotism and how it is portrayed in some other films, she responded, “The difference is in the story. I don't think Raazi's characters aren't any less patriotic than Dhurandhar's characters. It is their actions because of the way the story is. That is how they are depicted. One does not have to be right and the other has to be wrong. Patriotism and prayers don't need volume. And they aren't expressed in one particular way. Every individual has their own way of expression.”
Notably, When asked if there is any limit to the kind of patriotism she would show on screen, she shared, “There is no limit. If the character does not have a limit, how will I have a limit? And there was no limit of Raazi's character's patriotism. She had a limit when it came to her moral compass.”
As per the latest buzz, Meghna’s latest directorial, Daayra, stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran. The movie deals with an encounter killing in which Prithviraj’s character, a police officer, kills accused in a brutal sexual assault case during a crime scene reconstruction. Kareena also plays a cop who believes in following the path of law rather than resorting to quick justice. The movie explores the tricky moral boundary between justice, accountability and vigilante action.
In further updates, Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar is a two-part spy-action franchise starring Ranveer Singh. The films have emerged as major box-office successes -- minting ₹ 3000 crore rupees -- becoming one of the biggest franchises in recent Hindi cinema.
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