Rajkumar Santoshi on Batwara 1947 vs Dhurandhar; praises Sunny's classy macho heroes

As Rajkumar Santoshi’s Batwara 1947 continues its theatrical run, comparisons with Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar have surfaced over their take on masculinity, patriotism and the modern action hero. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Santoshi praised Dhar and Ranveer Singh, but said his idea of an alpha male comes from a very different school of action cinema.The 70-year-old director had no hesitation in acknowledging the craft behind Dhurandhar. Calling Aditya Dhar “a very fine director”, he pointed to the success of Uri and said how much he respects his work. He was equally complimentary about Ranveer, describing his performance in Dhurandhar as “fantastically performed".But the filmmaker does not believe the comparison should flatten two very different cinematic approaches into one. “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 added.That distinction becomes more revealing when the conversation moves to the alpha male, a figure that has undergone a significant makeover in mainstream Hindi cinema. Santoshi comes from the generation that gave audiences some of the most enduring macho heroes, most notably through his collaborations with Sunny Deol in Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak. Yet he argues that the masculinity of those characters was never dependent on constant aggression or spectacle. For Santoshi, Ghatak remains a useful reference point. Sunny Deol was undoubtedly macho, but the character’s physicality was tied to his circumstances and emotional stakes. The hero did not have to keep reminding the audience that he was powerful. “How many films can do the kind of action we have done? Something like a Ghatak is still quoted by the masses,” he said, adding that what he sees today is the more performative version of masculinity in some contemporary action films.The director mentioned that he is not against muscular action, nor is he suggesting that his heroes should become passive; he said that he only objects to violence being used merely as proof of 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. That is also where Santoshi sees a difference between the emotional worlds of Dhurandhar and Batwara 1947. He does not dispute that a character pushed through extreme torment may respond with extreme violence. In fact, he says he understands why Ranveer Singh’s character reacts the way he does. He said, “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."But in Batwara 1947, Santoshi said he deliberately placed Sunny Deol in a role where physical strength is only one part of the character. Sikandar Mirza is surrounded by the violence and upheaval of partition, but the filmmaker was more interested in the choices he makes within that turmoil than in simply turning him into another invincible 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 concluded.Backed by Aamir Khan Productions, Batwara 1947 also stars Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Ali Fazal, among others in key roles.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Aug 21, 2026 19:11 IST