How Dhurandhar 2 uses real-life events—from demonetisation to encounters—to build Hamza’s world

Amid the ongoing debate around the importance of strong writing in cinema, Aditya Dhar crafts a compelling narrative in Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge by blending real-life events with fiction, all anchored around the character of Hamza. He uses recent Indian events as the backbone of his storytelling, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Right at the outset, the filmmaker sets the tone with a detailed disclaimer: “The film is not a documentary and should not be construed as an accurate depiction of historical facts or events.

Certain characters, institutions, dialogues, and events have been fictionalised and dramatised for cinematic purposes. Any resemblance or similarity to actual persons, organisations, events, or locations is purely coincidental.” Yet, beneath this formal distancing lies a clever narrative device.

Dhar, who has often maintained that his films are merely “inspired” by real events, draws heavily from contemporary history—reimagining incidents like the Atiq Ahmed encounter, the 2016 demonetisation, and the reported deaths of terrorists such as Azam Cheema, Sajid Mir, Abdul Bhuttovi, Altaf and Javed Khanani. What he fictionalises, however, is the connective thread—tying these disparate events to Hamza’s journey in a tightly woven, chronological arc.

Spoiler Alert

! Recreating the Atiq Ahmed Encounter (April 15, 2023) One of the film’s most striking sequences mirrors the real-life killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed. On April 15, 2023, Ahmed was shot dead at point-blank range while being escorted by police for a medical check-up in Prayagraj, in full view of the media.

Aditya Dhar recreates this moment with chilling precision—the media interaction, the sudden gunshot, and the chaos that follows.

However, the film takes creative liberties by reimagining this character’s background. While the real Atiq Ahmed was accused of crimes like extortion, kidnapping, and murder, Dhar links his on-screen counterpart to Pakistan’s ISI, portraying him as a conduit between domestic crime networks and cross-border intelligence operations. His connection to Major Iqbal (played by Arjun Rampal) becomes a crucial fictional pivot, suggesting deeper geopolitical implications.

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17. Another real-world event seamlessly integrated into the narrative is the demonetisation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 20
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19. In reality, the government claimed that the move aimed to curb black money, corruption, and counterfeit currency. In the film, however, Aditya Dhar recontextualises it as a strategic masterstroke to dismantle a larger conspiracy.

Using actual footage of Modi’s address—where he declared that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would become “just pieces of paper”—the film ties this moment to Hamza’s mission. The narrative suggests that fake currency worth over Rs 60,000 crore was being funneled into India to influence elections in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly orchestrated by underworld and cross-border operatives. Demonetisation, in this fictional universe, becomes the decisive blow that thwarts this plan.

Political Shifts and Military Action Aditya Dhar also references the political shift of 2014, when Narendra Modi rose to power, choosing to portray it as a turning point that enabled India to take a more assertive stance globally. This is further reinforced through a brief mention of the 2016 Uri terror attack and the subsequent 2016 Indian surgical strikes carried out in September of that year. These events are interwoven into Hamza’s narrative, particularly during a key sequence set in Dubai, where he shares critical intelligence with Ajay Sanyal about a larger conspiracy involving fake currency, elections, and international players.

The timeline then flows through demonetisation and culminates in the assassination sequence inspired by Atiq Ahmed’s killing—binding reality and fiction into a single narrative thread. Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan Aditya Dhar also takes creative liberty to reinforce the long-standing theory of Dawood Ibrahim hiding in Pakistan. In the film, he is portrayed as “Bade Saheb,” living under tight security in a heavily guarded white mansion.

The character is shown to be ailing, with the narrative suggesting that his condition was caused after Jamal Jameel—revealed as a covert Indian agent for over 45 years—tricks him into coming into contact with mercuric chloride, a highly toxic compound known for its corrosive effects on the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract, and for causing severe kidney damage or failure. Other References and Narrative Layering Dhurandhar 2 also references the reported death of Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, a Lashkar-e-Taiba figure, depicting his imprisonment, while briefly touching upon the Ram Temple development in Ayodhya ahead of the climax—signaling broader socio-political shifts in India. Also Read - Dhurandhar 2 Movie Review: Ranveer Singh’s 4-hour marathon lacks the ‘mazaa’ of the original despite blood and bazookas The film also depicts a series of targeted killings across Pakistan by unidentified bike-borne assailants, which are implied to be part of Hamza’s covert operations after Ajay Sanyal gives him a free hand.

It further references the killing of Zahoor Mistry, also known as Zahid Akhund—a Jaish-e-Mohammed operative and one of the five hijackers of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 hijacking. In the film’s narrative, his death is tied back to Hamza’s mission, while also connecting to his earlier provocation of Ajay Sanyal in the first installment.