Arjun Rampal celebrates his birthday today, and fittingly, the actor stands on the brink of what might be one of the most blistering performances of his career. With Jio Studios and B62 Studios Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, Rampal steps into a space audiences haven’t seen him inhabit in a long time -- brutal, unflinching, and chillingly unpredictable. His character, Major Iqbal is introduced to the world as the ominous “Angel of Death” and it has already sent a ripple through fans the moment the first look dropped. The cigar, the heavy beard, the dead-calm menace in his eyes… this is Rampal designed to intimidate.
But what makes it hard-hitting is the energy. There’s a simmering cruelty, and that's what makes Major Iqbal even more intriguing. He clearly seems modelled on real covert operatives and looks like men who live in the shadows, whose brutality is shaped by ideology and a lifetime of conflict. The character carries the psychological imprint of feared intelligence officers and Rampal leans into that aura unabashedly.
The trailer wastes no time announcing just how far Rampal has pushed himself. His scenes have sparked conversation for being unsettling. It's the kind of morally dangerous character that demands ferocity and Rampal seems to have embraced the role completely. The very first shot belongs to him and is a gut-punch of an introduction that instantly sets the tone of the film.
For an actor who made his early career on charm and leading-man good looks, this vicious transformation at fifty-plus is startling in the best way. He’s choosing roles that people never associated with him with a confidence that feels almost rebellious. It’s this unpredictability that makes his presence in Dhurandhar such a jolt, and such a thrill, for his fans.
On his birthday, fans are just celebrating an actor who’s constantly reinvented himself and Dhurandhar may well mark a new milestone in his repertoire. Here’s wishing Arjun Rampal a power packed year ahead and here’s to the storm he’s about to unleash on screen!
Dhurandhar features a stellar ensemble cast headlined by Ranveer Singh, along with Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal. Dhurandhar is written, directed, and produced by Aditya Dhar, and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar. The film Dhurandhar is slated for a December 5th, 2025 release.
