‘Dhruv Rathee ko bhi fame mila’: Dhurandhar actor ‘doesn’t agree’ with YouTuber’s video, wants people not to make film ‘Hindu-Muslim issue’ | Bollywood News

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has taken the box office a storm since its release around three weeks ago. However, the Ranveer Singh starrer has also been receiving backlash for its alleged ‘propaganda’ and ‘agenda-driven’ content. In fact, content creator Dhruv Rathee also criticised the spy-thriller in a recent video on YouTube. Now, actor Naveen Kaushik, who played the role of Donga on Dhurandhar, joined SCREEN for a sit-down interview in Delhi. During the candid conversation, he reacted to a section of people slamming the film, as well as Rathee’s latest viral claims.
When asked if he reflected on the backlash Dhurandhar faced, Naveen said, “When someone criticises your work and you are passionate about it, you should take the opportunity to try and look at it from their point of view. I do feel saddened the criticism coming this film’s way. Please talk about the way it has been made. If you feel it has been made badly, if it hasn’t lived up to the way the standards of cinema should be, definitely talk about it.”
He further added, “But, if you are just going to pull out certain aspects and try to manipulate those things into ideology or a propaganda, I don’t think I appreciate that. Some people are trying to make it a Hindu-Muslim issue, but everyone is loving (the film). If it was an agenda driven movie, then there wouldn’t have been Muslim technicians working on the movie.”
The actor further expressed that while he doesn’t agree with Rathee’s thoughts about his film. “He is a very opinionated person and I welcome people who question and challenge. That is supposed to be done and that’s how you improve yourself. I don’t necessarily agree with what he has said about the movie, because I am closely associated with it,” he stated.
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Naveen continued, “The video that he has put out a few days ago has had a massive response, he has got a lot of views. So, I want to say you’re welcome. Aapko bhi thoda fame mila (you also got fame). Not that he needed it, but ofcourse talking about our movie is helping his channel as well. And, I have learnt over time that you can’t make everyone happy. Some people are not going to like what you do. If he doesn’t like it, you have all the freedom in this country to have your own opinion about it.”
He was then asked if the team of Dhurandhar expected the criticism, and he replied, “Everyone knew that when you are going to take up such a sensitive topic of India and Pakan relationship, and you are going to address the incidents of our hory, it is going to touch a nerve. A lot of people will try to analyse and dissect it. We knew it will get a lot of eyes, but we also knew that the film, script, and actors are strong. We didn’t know that an entire army of audience will defend us.”Story continues below this ad
Dhruv Rathee on Dhurandhar
Rathee had posted a video on his YouTube channel criticising Dhurandhar. “Director of the film Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar, has made a false claim and tried to spread nonsense propaganda through his film. Well-made propaganda is more dangerous. Films like The Taj Story and The Bengal Films were not dangerous, kyunki wo bakwaas films thi (because they were bad films). But Dhurandhar is an engaging film,” he had said.
He added, “The problem is that Dhurandhar repeatedly shows you it’s inspired real events. It says so in the trailer. It shows the real footage from the 26/11 attacks. The real audio recordings of conversations between the terrors and their handlers have been used. It also uses real-life gangsters and cops based in Pakan’s Lyari.”