For
all
the
noise
around
box-office
milestones
and
the
espionage
spectacle
of
Dhurandhar,
the
film’s
most
quietly
radical
achievement
lies
in
its
visual
language.
Aditya
Dhar’s
comeback
may
be
celebrated
for
ambition
and
scale,
but
its
emotional
force
comes
from
how
it
looks,
breathes
and
traps
the
viewer
inside
its
world.
The
cinematography,
led
by
DoP
Vikash
Nowlakha,
is
the
film’s
spine.
Nowlakha
tells
us,
“I’ve
waited
my
entire
life
for
a
film
that
allowed
this
texture
…
and
with
this
one
Aditya
truly
let
me
off
the
leash
–
for
this
I’m
grateful
!
The
stakes
were
high
and
the
clock’s
always
ticking
–
but
this
one
in
particular
had
a
tremendous
amount
of
material
to
cover.
We
shot
the
equivalent
of
4
movies
in
the
time
and
budget
allotted
for
one.
Often,
in
the
most
chaotic
of
situations
–
if
it
could
break
–
it
broke
….
mayhem
was
the
mainstay
and
that
became
a
language
!
But
then
again
–
‘calm
seas
have
never
made
a
good
sailor’.
The
world
of
the
film
should
feel
like
it
is
watching
you
back.”
One
of
the
striking
choices
is
the
film’s
commitment
to
shadow
as
narrative.
Instead
of
treating
darkness
as
an
aesthetic
flourish,
Dhurandhar
uses
it
as
subtext.
Narrow
corridors,
dim
Karachi
safehouses,
cramped
rooms
with
a
single
practical
light
source
—
the
visuals
linger.
Equally
important
is
the
desaturated
colour
palette.
In
a
year
where
Indian
blockbusters
leaned
heavily
on
neon,
high-contrast
palettes
and
glossy
digital
textures,
Dhurandhar
goes
the
other
way.
The
visual
terrain
that
looks
harsh,
perfectly
suited
to
a
story
of
infiltration
and
duplicity.
A
major
achievement
of
the
film
is
how
geography
is
integrated
into
its
visual
strategy.
The
action
sequences,
too,
are
shot
with
a
restrained,
anti-glamour
approach.
While
2025
has
delivered
several
high-adrenaline,
VFX-heavy
set
pieces
across
big-ticket
releases,
Dhurandhar
stands
apart.
It’s
a
visual
expansion
that
mirrors
the
script’s
rising
scale,
without
ever
losing
the
film’s
essential
grit.
In
a
film
season
crowded
with
high-voltage
blockbusters
and
franchise
extensions,
Dhurandhar
distinguishes
itself
by
building
a
visual
world
that
has
a
purpose.
And
in
doing
so,
it
gives
Bollywood
one
of
its
most
intelligently
crafted
visual
experiences
in
years.
Nowlakha
credits
his
director.
He
says,
“Hats
off
to
Aditya
–
he
was
threading
a
needle
while
riding
a
bull.”
Produced
by
Jio
Studios’ Jyoti
Deshpande,
B62
Studios’
Lokesh
Dhar
and
Aditya
Dhar,
Dhurandhar
released
worldwide
on
December
5,
2025.