Grammy awardee Ricky Kej showers heaps of praise on Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, takes harsh dig at Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, ‘ISI agent…’

Ranveer Singh’s film Dhurandhar, helmed by Aditya Dhar, has continued to draw strong reactions since its release. While many viewers have appreciated its intense and realistic storytelling, others have criticised its dark tone. Amid these mixed opinions, Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej shared his thoughts on the film, which quickly grabbed attention online.

At first, Ricky Kej focused on praising the film’s quality and execution. However, as his comments circulated, it became clear that he was also responding strongly to those who were unhappy with Dhurandhar.

What did Ricky Kej write?

Ricky Kej described Dhurandhar as a powerful and well-crafted spy thriller. He praised the performances, editing, dialogues, and music, saying the long runtime never feels heavy. According to him, the film presents reality without sugar-coating harsh truths. Sharing his detailed reaction, Ricky wrote, “Was travelling non-stop, took a short break to watch #Dhurandhar.. and WOW! India(BHARAT)n cinema coming of age. The 3.5 hour run-time goes by in a flash, with us asking for more! The performances, edit, dialogues, all absolutely top notch. Incredible music by @shashwatology

A spy thriller done correctly. Technically brilliant.. every department has excelled. A big, hearty congratulations to the genius captain of the ship @AdityaDharFilms, now he has proven to be the best.. and incapable of anything less than brilliance. (I had the pleasure of meeting him once in 2001!)”

The comment that took harsh dig at Pathaan

Along with praise, Ricky Kej also addressed the criticism directed at Dhurandhar. In a separate note, he took a sharp dig at Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan, which, according to him, relies more on glamour than realism. Referring indirectly to Pathaan, he wrote, “P.S: The tiny few who are criticizing the movie have probably not watched it. It shows things as they are, gruesome or otherwise, no sugar coating. It is certified adult, so you will be stupid if you take your children. People criticizing the film probably prefer movies with a sexy female Pakistani ISI agent dancing in a bikini to Besharam Rang… That is cinema according to them.” His statement sparked a heated discussion on social media, with opinions divided.

Was travelling non-stop, took a short break to watch #Dhurandhar.. and WOW! India(BHARAT)n cinema coming of age. The 3.5 hour run-time goes by in a flash, with us asking for more! The performances, edit, dialogues, all absolutely top notch. Incredible music by @shashwatology. A spy… pic.twitter.com/Nh3fUZVSzT

— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) December 13, 2025

More about Dhurandhar

The film’s strong audience response is reflected in its box office success, as it earned Rs 207.25 crore in its first week. With an India(BHARAT) gross of Rs 287.75 crore and overseas earnings of Rs 85 crore, Dhurandhar has reached a total worldwide collection of Rs 372.75 crore.