Dhurandhar Targeted Again? Don’t Make Me Open My Mouth

In a recent viral interview clip, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui sharply critiqued Bollywood’s growing acceptance towards making propaganda cinema and directors shifting towards making these narrative-driven films.

“We all know propaganda movies are being made,” Nawazuddin stated. “Most of them are fake—even you know it’s fake—and narratives are being set.”

Though the actor didn’t name any films, he declared that right in front of the reporter and the audiences and the industry insiders, everybody knows what is being done to Bollywood films, stating that “Don’t make me open my mouth.”

Many users interpreted Nawazuddin’s remarks for being a clear dig at films like Dhurandhar and The Kerela Story 2, which many critics accused of being divisive films that were politically charged to spread a certain agenda into society.

Supporters of these films, however, hit back, pointing to Nawazuddin’s previous role in the 2018 biopic Thackeray, which many labeled as a propaganda film that also glorified Hindutva politics.

Nawazuddin’s comments come amid Bollywood‘s rising polarization, where most commercial films increasingly present extreme ideological narratives as entertainment. While many praised the actor for his bravery to speak up and highlight the issue, others accused him of promoting selective outrage.

On social media, the viral clip has stirred a debate about Bollywood treading on the thin line between narrative and propoganda. Meanwhile a large chunk of its audiences remain media illiterate and fail to differentiate between the two, further deepening the rift between the audiences.

Nawazuddin was last seen in Netflix’s 2025 crime thriller Raat Akeli Hai: The Bhansali Murders and is currently working on notable upcoming titles like Section 108, Blind Babu, and Tumbbad 2.