By Gurpreet Singh
The latest Bollywood spy thriller in Canadian theatres has an underlying message that people in this part of the world cannot ignore.
Dhurandhar openly glorifies India’s intelligence for penetrating its agents into Pakistan to go after political activists perceived to be involved in trans-border terrorism. The central character (played by Ranveer Singh) is an Indian spy sent discreetly to the Muslim-dominated country by an officer who resembles controversial, real-life top security adviser Ajit Doval.
This mission, known as Dhurandhar, not only precipitates internal conflict in Pakistan, but also involves killings. This sends a subtle message that the new India is capable of getting inside the homes of enemies to eliminate them.
Incidentally, Cineplex Cinemas Strawberry Hill, where the movie was shown Monday night in two adjoining theatres, is very close to the Surrey Delta Gurdwara where a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was assassinated in 2023. The then Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, later told the House of Commons that Canada’s security agencies were pursuing “credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian government agents and Nijjar’s murder.
After all, Nijjar was wanted by the Indian authorities for supporting Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland. India kept on asking for his extradition, accusing him of being involved in violence in Punjab. His 8:30 p.m. murder took place in broad daylight near the back entrance of the gurdwara. Meanwhile, Modi continues making menacing statements about the new India getting into the homes of the enemies. It is pertinent to mention that four men of Indian origin have been arrested in relation to the killing of Nijjar.
Young filmgoers cheer Dhurandhar
In spite of this, the screenings remained packed, mostly by a younger Punjabi- or Hindi-speaking audience. That included turbaned Sikhs, with many applauding the dialogue and songs. Moreover, Punjabi pop star Diljit Dosanjh—who has been trolled repeatedly by right-wing Hindu groups in for standing up for farmers holding a yearlong protest against Modi—also promoted Dhurandhar on social media. That may be because his songs are included in the film.
The timing of the movie is significant, considering how many Sikhs in Canada are concerned over transnational repression originating from India and the growing coziness between New Delhi and Ottawa.
This movie should be watched with a pinch of salt rather than as a source of entertainment as its makers aren’t really hiding what really they want people to see. Here is a message for those who find this normal because the story is focused on Muslims and Islamic extremists: the day isn’t far off when emboldened by Dhurandhar‘s reception, Bollywood will come up with a similar celluloid version to justify the killing of Nijjar in Canada.
It’s time to call out Indian cinema before it’s too late.
Gurpreet Singh is a B.C. author and co-founder of Radical Desi. In addition, he hosts a daily news and current affairs show on YouTube called Navin Taazi. Follow Gurpreet Singh on Bluesky @gurpreetradical.bsky.social.
