R Madhavan dismissed allegations labelling his upcoming action films Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge as political propaganda.
Madhavan questioned why showcasing a strong Indian identity on screen is perceived negatively by critics.
The actor clarified that Dhurandhar is set in Pakistan and depicts realistic events without any underlying political agenda.
Actor R Madhavan rejected claims that his Dhurandhar (2025) and Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), serve as political propaganda. He questioned why presenting oneself as Indian is viewed negatively.
Madhavan defends Dhurandhar
Madhavan detailed his defence of portraying Indian identity on screen. He rejected any political motives behind his cinematic choices.
"I don’t understand how being an Indian can be seen as a wrong thing. What does it mean by ‘being overly Indian’? I don’t know. Is it not okay to show myself as being ‘too Indian’? I don’t know. That’s not my conditioning; I showed that," Madhavan told Galatta Plus.
The actor said that Dhurandhar was set in Pakistan. He noted that good and bad things happen there just as they do in India.
He added, "This is not even a political statement. Dhurandhar was based in Pakistan. Good and bad things happen there as well, just as much as they do in India. So, I don’t understand what the ‘propaganda’ in it is."
Honouring character and truth
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022) was Madhavan's directorial debut. The film faced similar criticism regarding Indian patriotism upon its release.
Madhavan explained his commitment to character authenticity. "In Nambi sir’s (aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan) case, I only showed what happened in his life. How can I be honest with the story if I am afraid to show who he really is? He is a person who goes to the temple," he said.
He contrasted aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan's temple-going habits with the atheist (nastik) inventor GD Naidu to explain this character-true portrayal. "GD Naidu (inventor and engineer), on the other hand, is a nastik (atheist). So, we can’t show such things (him going to temples) in the movie. I have to be true to that character. Because of that, one can’t say that I don’t believe in god or vice versa. I am an actor, and my job is to portray things as they are," he said.
"My personal opinion is that I want to enhance all the good things about India. That cannot be a crime," Madhavan added.
