Veteran actor and respected industry voice Paresh Rawal recently sparked a significant debate on social media after sharply criticizing film critic Anupama Chopra for her review of the Ranveer Singh-starrer, Dhurandhar. Chopra, in her critique, described the espionage thriller as “exhausting, relentless and frenzied,” which seemingly did not sit well with the actor, leading to a fiery exchange online.
Anupama Chopra, wife of filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, reviewed the Aditya Dhar-directed film Dhurandhar for a media outlet, noting that the three-hour-thirty-four-minute epic felt overly long and aggressive. She characterized the movie—which tackles sensitive real-world events like the Kandahar hijacking and the 26/11 attacks—as being “propelled by charismatic, murderous men, too much testosterone, shrill nationalism and inflammatory anti-Pakistan narratives.”
Chopra acknowledged the solid performances, particularly from Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer Singh, but ultimately felt that the mix of fact and flamboyance proved “dangerous and clunky,” and the storytelling was not as smooth as the relentless action and “banging music.” Her overall sentiment was that the film was a “tough sit.”
The veteran actor Paresh Rawal, known for his direct approach, wasted no time in responding to Chopra’s comments, taking to his official X handle. His reaction was concise, immediate, and undeniably pointed. In a direct response to her critique, Paresh Rawal hit back with a single, sharp sentence that immediately went viral: “Aren’t you tired of being Miss Irrelevant?”
This highly public and aggressive takedown from a prominent Bollywood personality against a well-established critic quickly ignited a massive conversation across the internet, pitting those who agree with the film’s nationalistic theme and box office success against those who support the critic’s prerogative for an honest review.
The core of this public disagreement highlights the widening gap between traditional film criticism and mass audience reception, particularly for large-scale, politically-charged action films. Despite the divided critical reviews, Dhurandhar has proven to be a major commercial success, delivering one of Ranveer Singh’s strongest box office performances to date.
Paresh Rawal’s comment seems to reflect a growing frustration among some in the film industry who feel that critics fail to appreciate mass-appeal cinema and dismiss films that resonate strongly with the public. Chopra’s review, which touched upon the “shrill nationalism” in the film, aligns with a type of political criticism often leveled against contemporary large-budget Bollywood thrillers, which is exactly what Rawal appeared to be challenging. To know such latest updates, stay tuned to tellyboosters.com Thank you!
