"Everybody loves violence in movies when it's foreign": HAQ director Suparn Varma hits back at criticism of 'Dhurandhar' trailer

By Zoya Aziz

Panjim (Goa) (India), November 23 : Ranveer Singh's upcoming film 'Dhurandhar' has become a hot topic of discussion even before its theatrical release.

The action-packed trailer of the spy thriller is receiving all the love from the audience. However, there is also a select section of social media users who seem to be criticising the extreme and gory violence shown in the film.

Amid mixed reactions online, director Suparn S Varma, who is currently basking in the success of his latest film 'HAQ', has reacted to the criticism.

Speaking toon the sidelines of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 in Goa, Varma described the responses as a "double standard" among audiences when it comes to violent films. He noted that when films from other countries showcase violence, "everybody loves the violence," but similar appreciation is often not extended to Hindi cinema, even when the genre demands it.

Varma said, "When a Marco comes out, everybody loves the violence. We see The Raid 1, The Raid 2, I'm talking about the Indonesian films by Gareth Evans, or Gangs of London, or Korean cinema, or Japanese cinema, or Hollywood cinema for that matter. Violence exists; it has existed for eons, and violence is beautiful if you do it cinematically."

"So what's wrong with it if the story demands it? If you are going to show a character torturing someone, then as a filmmaker, it's my job to show innovative methods of torturing. That's what that villain is doing in the first place. This is the nature of the genre I'm making," he added.

He went on to add that the industry needs audiences who love cinema "across languages, across the world" and insisted that filmmakers should not be judged through "a different lens for different films."

"We need to start celebrating Hindi films for what they are and supporting our filmmakers. I think it's very, very important. We cannot have a different lens for different films. It needs to come from a place of passion for cinema, and cinema across languages, across the world," he added.

'Dhurandhar' is directed, written, and produced by Aditya Dhar. Along with Ranveer Singh in the lead role, the film stars Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, and Akshaye Khanna. It is scheduled to release in theatres on December 5.

Meanwhile, Suparn S. Varma's latest film 'HAQ', which stars Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi, has been receiving widespread praise. Inspired by the true legal battle of Shah Bano Begum, the courtroom drama also had its screening at the prestigious 56th International Film Festival of India on Friday, November 22, in Goa.

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