Dhurandhar: Pakistani politician slams Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna film for 'unlaw' usage of ex-PM Benazir Bhutto's images, calls it 'disgraceful attempt to...'

After Dhurandhar was mired in controversy in India before its release when Major Mohit Sharma's parents had objected to the Aditya Dhar directorial, now a political row has erupted in Pakistan over Ranveer Singh’s latest spy thriller Dhurandhar, after a senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader alleged that the film illegally used images of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and falsely portrayed the party’s position on terrorism.

Sumeta Afzal Syed, spokesperson of PPP and a member of the Sindh Task Force, took to her X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, and criticised Dhurandhar. "The newly released Indian film Dhurandar has unlawfully used images of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and disgracefully attempted to portray the PPP as sympathetic to terrorists", she wrote, along with sharing a screenshot from the film where Bhutto's face is used.

She further urged Pakistani authorities to take notice of what she called an attempt to malign Pakistan's former Prime Minister. "We strongly condemn this malicious distortion and urge the government to take immediate notice of India’s attempt to malign Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and an internationally respected democratic leader. The PPP has been a frontline victim of terrorism and has always stood — and will always stand — as the strongest force against extremism", Sumeta concluded.

The newly released Indian film #Dhurandar has unlawfully used images of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and disgracefully attempted to portray the PPP as sympathetic to terrorists.
We strongly condemn this malicious distortion and urge the government to take immediate notice of… pic.twitter.com/EMpxLM0UMG

— Sumeta Afzal Syed (@SumetaSyed) December 8, 2025

On social media, Dhurandhar has stirred its own debate over the film's political messaging and depiction of Pakistan. While some critics have dismissed it as jingoistic and anti-Pakistan, supporters maintain that it mirrors the realities of cross-border terrorism and intelligence operations. Syed’s comments have now injected a new cross-border flashpoint into the already heated discussion surrounding the film.

Apart from Ranveer Singh, the spy thriller Dhurandhar also features Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R Madhavan in the leading roles. The film centres on an undercover intelligence operative dispatched to Pakistan to dismantle a terrorist network, with its narrative woven around real-world events like the IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

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