Dhruv Rathee and Ranvir Shorey trade barbs on X after former critiques of ‘Dhurandhar’ trailer

A sharp exchange unfolded on X between YouTuber and social commentator Dhruv Rathee and actor Ranvir Shorey after Rathee criticised the trailer of Aditya Dhar’s forthcoming film Dhurandhar, describing the level of violence depicted as excessive and disturbing.

Rathee stated on X that the trailer had crossed what he viewed as a limit of cheapness in mainstream cinema, adding that the extreme scenes of gore and torture were comparable to viewing violent extremist videos and labelling them entertainment. He argued that the filmmaker’s pursuit of commercial success appeared so unrestrained that it risked desensitising young audiences and glorifying brutality, and he stated that the Censor Board now had an opportunity to demonstrate whether it took greater issue with romantic scenes or with graphic depictions of torture.

Aditya Dhar has truly crossed a limit of cheapness in Bollywood.

The extreme violence, gore and torture shown in his latest film trailer is the equivalent of watching ISIS beheadings and calling it “entertainment”.

His lust for money is so unhinged that he is willingly…

— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) November 18, 2025

The post quickly went viral, leading an X user to highlight Rathee’s earlier praise for Gangs of Wasseypur, noting that he had even produced a video calling it an important Indian film five years ago. Rathee responded by saying he had been mistaken and had not fully understood the societal impact of such films at that time.

Buddy, you’re wrong most of the time, but I love how you’ve turned that into a career. ???????????? https://t.co/z9ErQocgeb

— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) November 18, 2025

Shorey, known for roles in Mithya, Khosla Ka Ghosla! and Titli, then weighed in and stated that Rathee was wrong most of the time, adding that he admired how Rathee had managed to build a career out of it. Rathee replied by sharing a screenshot of a YouTube thumbnail referencing Shorey’s appearance on Bigg Boss OTT 3, remarking that it was still better than building a livelihood around performing staged confrontations on a reality show.

Shorey hit back, stating that the arguments on Bigg Boss were not nearly as fabricated as Rathee himself and encouraged him to carry on.

The exchange fuelled extensive discussion on X. Some users criticised Rathee for disrespecting Shorey, while others defended Rathee’s willingness to admit past mistakes. One user said Shorey’s comment was surprising given Rathee’s openness to growth, while another quipped that Shorey’s remarks about Rathee amounted to more screen time than the actor had received in years. Others applauded Shorey’s assertiveness, with one user stating that if someone cannot handle criticism themselves, they should refrain from commenting on others’ careers.