Vishal Bhardwaj allegedly likes post comparing Dhurandhar fans to Nazis, faces flak

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has sparked a social media storm after allegedly liking a reel that controversially compared Dhurandhar fans to Nazis. The incident has ignited mixed reactions online.

In Short

• Vishal Bhardwaj liked a social media reel comparing Dhurandhar viewers to Nazis
• The reel featured a photo of August Landmesser refusing to salute Hitler
• Fans and critics reacted strongly to Bhardwaj's social media activity

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has quietly set the internet buzzing with a social media move that didn’t go unnoticed. The acclaimed director is under fire after he allegedly liked a social media reel that compared viewers of the blockbuster Dhurandhar to Nazis. Yes, you read that right – the reel sparked an instant buzz, and Bhardwaj’s action has got everyone talking.

The whole drama kicked off when an X user shared a screenshot showing Bhardwaj’s like on a reel titled, “Why didn’t you watch Dhurandhar?” The reel featured the famous photo of August Landmesser, the man who famously refused to salute Hitler, suggesting that fans of Dhurandhar were somehow akin to Nazis.

Here's the screenshot of the post:

As expected, the post went viral in no time. The user captioned it, “Haider director Vishal Bhardwaj is liking a post which compares Dhurandhar viewers with Germany Nazis. Zakir Khan was right ‘Dhurandhar se sabki jali to hai’ (sic).” And just like that, the internet was buzzing with reactions – some furious, some confused, and some downright amused.

Now, not all the internet was out for blood. On Reddit, a bunch of folks stepped up to defend Bhardwaj. One user, claiming to be a Dhurandhar fan, said, “People should be allowed to criticise or hate films if they want. Bhardwaj is a private citizen with strong political views, and that’s his right. Sure, Dhurandhar 2 had some propagandistic bits, but overall, it’s a well-made film. Respecting different opinions is key, no?”

Another cheeky netizen wondered, “Why do people take films this seriously in India?” which, honestly, is quite the valid question in this Bollywood-crazy world.

Here are the comments:

For those not in the loop, Dhurandhar 2, directed by Aditya Dhar, is a spy action thriller sequel that dives deeper into Ranveer Singh’s character, Jaskirat Singh Rangi alias Hamza Ali Mazari.

The film boasts a star-studded cast including Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. It’s already crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark at the box office worldwide, which is no small feat!

Interestingly, while Dhurandhar Part 1 was on Netflix, the sequel will premiere on JioHotstar. Reports say the OTT platform has shelled out a whopping Rs 150 crore for the rights - double what they paid for the first film. The exact release date is still hush-hush, but industry whispers suggest it could drop within eight weeks of the theatrical release.

- Ends