As Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947 continues its run in theatres, comparisons with Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar have emerged over their respective portrayals of masculinity, patriotism and the contemporary action hero. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Santoshi praised both Dhar and Ranveer Singh, while making it clear that his understanding of the alpha male comes from a distinctly different tradition of action filmmaking.
The 70-year-old filmmaker readily acknowledged the skill behind Dhurandhar. Describing Aditya Dhar as “a very fine director”, Santoshi cited the success of Uri and expressed his admiration for the filmmaker’s work. He was similarly appreciative of Ranveer Singh, calling his performance in Dhurandhar “fantastically performed”.
However, Santoshi stressed that the two films represent very different cinematic sensibilities and should not be reduced to the same approach. “Aditya has been very successful; he also made Uri, and I really respect his work. But that was his style. Every director and writer has their own emotions. And the part was fantastically performed by Ranveer,” he said.
The distinction becomes clearer when discussing the idea of the alpha male, a character archetype that has changed considerably in mainstream Hindi cinema. Santoshi belongs to the generation responsible for some of Bollywood’s most memorable macho heroes, particularly through his collaborations with Sunny Deol in Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak. According to him, however, the masculinity of those characters was never built around nonstop aggression or spectacle.
For Santoshi, Ghatak continues to serve as an important example. Sunny Deol’s character was undeniably macho, but his physical strength was rooted in his circumstances and emotional motivations. The hero did not need to repeatedly demonstrate his power to the audience. “How many films can do the kind of action we have done? Something like a Ghatak is still quoted by the masses,” he said, while pointing to what he considers a more performative form of masculinity in certain contemporary action films.
Santoshi clarified that he has nothing against muscular action and does not want his heroes to appear weak or passive. His objection, he explained, is to violence being used solely to establish masculinity. “Today people are using bad words, abusing, drinking; it's so cheap. Sunny has played action heroes with dignity. He has played the role of a true macho guy. Those are powerful and memorable performances. We (Sunny and I) will do more action films but with standards and class. Not to show off strength but with good reasoning. There should be a good purpose to fight and hit a man,” he said.
This philosophy also highlights the difference Santoshi sees between Dhurandhar and Batwara 1947. He does not deny that someone subjected to severe trauma and suffering could respond with extreme violence. In fact, he understands the motivations behind Ranveer Singh’s character. “When I feel my hero is going through that kind of torment, that kind of torture, he may react the same way, the way Ranveer Singh did,” he said.
However, in Batwara 1947, Santoshi intentionally cast Sunny Deol in a role where physical strength is only one aspect of the character. Sikandar Mirza is caught amid the violence and upheaval of Partition, but Santoshi was more interested in the decisions he makes during that crisis than in portraying him as an unbeatable action hero.
“He is the most courageous character I have written. One can fight with a single army, or a group of people, but to fight and take a stand against fanaticism in today’s time, impossible. Nobody will dare to do that,” the filmmaker said.
Backed by Aamir Khan Productions, Batwara 1947 features Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Ali Fazal in important roles alongside the lead cast.
