Amidst the ongoing debate over the portrayal of women in Dhurandhar helmed by Aditya Dhar actress Saumya Tandon has come forward to defend the film from accusations of being misogynistic. The film which features a strong ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh Akshaye Khanna Arjun Rampal Sanjay Dutt R Madhavan and Sara Arjun has come under fire from certain netizens who claim it promotes harmful gender stereotypes. Saumyas Strong Defense of Dhurandhar In response to a female netizens tweet criticizing the film Saumya said Agreed. In the universe Dhurandhar is set in with the societal norms the director chose to depict it is a male-dominated world yet the women are treated with dignity. They aren’t beaten objectified or shown as one of many wives even though that society could have allowed it. Saumya continued and added her take while taking an indirect dig on Deepika Padukones Pathaan and Rashmika Mandannas Animal adding Sorry that the grain of this story doesn’t allow for glamorous heroines singing songs on exotic beaches that may work for other scripts but not in this one. That said as an actor I do hope I also get opportunities to be part of women-centric narratives. The tweet was a direct response to an earlier post from a netizen who took aim at the film and its portrayal of male characters. The critic wrote “Step 1: be a male actor in Bollywood who is known for being a soft-boy. Step 2: realize you are becoming irrelevant... Step 3: star in a misogynistic movie as a manchild with 0 emotional intelligence... Step 4: promote aggression and misogyny under the name of ‘masculinity’...” This post was a scathing attack on Ranveer Singh’s character and the film’s overall messaging accusing it of glorifying toxic masculinity. Agreed. In the universe Dhurandhar is set in with the societal norms the director chose to depict it is a male-dominated world yet the women are treated with dignity. They aren’t beaten objectified or shown as one of many wives even though that society could have allowed… https://t.co/mzSZ2I3N7q — Saumya Tandon (@saumyatandon) December 10 2025 Reactions to Saumyas Response Saumyas comments on social media sparked strong reactions from netizens. Some praised her for standing up for the film noting that her portrayal in Dhurandhar was far from objectifying. Others however continued to question the movies gender dynamics and the portrayal of its male leads. Still Saumya remained steadfast in her defense stressing that the film’s narrative was grounded in a particular socio-cultural context that warranted its characters actions and dialogues. More about Dhurandhar Saumya Tandon plays the role of Akshaye Khannas wife in the film Dhurandhar as Ulfat Baloch. Her character is a small but intense part and shes shared scenes with powerhouse performers Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna. Saumya has mentioned that this role is one of the most intense shes taken on showcasing a different side of her acting skills.