Swara Bhaskar's mother Ira slams Dhurandhar for violent portrayal of Muslims, Pak

Ira Bhaskar, mother of actor Swara Bhaskar, criticised Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar for its violent and stereotypical portrayal of Muslims, highlighting concerns over ideological bias in contemporary Indian cinema.

Film scholar Ira Bhaskar recently criticised Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar during a discussion where she examined the politics of contemporary Indian cinema.

The conversation, hosted by activist and writer Harsh Mander for his YouTube channel Karwan e Mohabbat, also featured Harish Wankhede, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Bhaskar, a former Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at JNU and mother of actor Swara Bhaskar, spoke about films that have faced restrictions or censorship in recent years. The panel discussed titles such as Punjab 95 and Phule, which have encountered hurdles related to certification and release.

During the discussion, Bhaskar also referred to the commercial success of Dhurandhar and criticised what she described as the ideological messaging in the film.

“Let me give the example of Dhurandhar, which is earning crores at the box office. Since it's the most recent example of this, also doing very well at the box office. This is an example of a film made by a filmmaker who is ideologically convinced by Hindutva and the ideology of Hindutva," she said, calling Dhar a competent filmmaker and Dhurandhar a well-made film.

Bhaskar further questioned whether cinematic technique can be separated from the ideas a film promotes.