Female reviewers face criticism for negative ‘Dhurandhar’ reviews, talks on Feminist Film Theory surface online

As Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Dhurandhar’ breaks records with its box office collection surpassing Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’, the movie has brought forward similar discussions just like ‘Animal’. While the naysayers criticised the latter for its subject matter, ‘Dhurandhar’s issues have been about the reactions for its criticism.

Dhurandhar and the reviews controversy

Since its release on Dec 5, 2025, ‘Dhurandhar’ , directed by Aditya Dhar, has generated widespread attention. While commercially successful and enthusiastically received by parts of the audience, it also drew mixed to negative reviews from professional critics.

In some cases, reviewers who offered critical assessments have been subjected to harassment and online attacks, which has sparked debate about the role of film criticism itself.

Prominent critic Anupama Chopra faced backlash

-What Anupama Chopra said in her Review?

In her original review , published on the Hollywood Reporter India and on YouTube, she described Dhurandhar critically as a “tough sit” . She critiqued the film as exhausting and relentless with shrill nationalism and an inflammatory anti-Pakistan narrative that didn’t serve the story well.

Shortly after posting , she made her Dhurandhar review video post private on Youtube and also restricted replies to her X (formally Twitter) post about the review , limiting responses to accounts she follows or mentions. 

Backlash from the Industry and public figures

Actor Paresh Rawal publicly mocked her critique , replying “ Aren't you tired of being Miss Irrelevant? “ on social media, directly targeting her review stance.

In a Hollywood Reporter India Director’s roundtable, filmmaker Mohit Suri praised Dhurandhar while sitting beside Chopra, and netizens interpreted this contrast as awkward given her earlier negative review. 

Some users criticized her review’s tone, saying it did not match audience sentiment.

There were also attacks and abusive comments in some threads, reflecting on the polarizing reception the film has received.

Role of Feminist Film Theory in the Dhurandhar debate

The backlash against negative reviews of Dhurandhar has sometimes been discussed in terms of gender and representation, which brings Feminist Film Theory into the conversation.

Feminist Film Theory is a way of analyzing films that looks at how women are shown on the big screen and how power and perspective work in cinema. It began in the 1970s and asks questions like : ‘ Whose point of view does the story follow?’ Or ‘Are female characters independent or do they mainly exist to support male characters?’ 

In online discussions, especially on Reddit, some viewers used these ideas to question whether Dhurandhar’s female characters have real agency or mainly serve the male lead’s story. One of the reddit posts said, “Why are women portrayed as naive and idiotic ?”

This shows how the film became part of a larger debate about gender, not just storytelling or entertainment.

Along with debates about representation, the controversy also highlights gendered online harassment. Critics argue that this goes beyond normal disagreement and creates a hostile environment that discourages and damages honest criticism.

The Dhurandhar reviews controversy is not merely about a single film’s quality, rather it reveals entangled issues involving film criticism, gender representation and online culture.

Many believe that overall, this case highlights the need to protect critics freedom to express their views while also thinking carefully about gender perspectives when discussing films and cultures.