Body in exile; but the roots and soul lay in Kashmir. That is what is demonstrated, repeatedly in one way or the other, over the last three and a half decades by the exiled community members through their art / profession or even through one’s silence that refuses to submit to any dictates of obscurantism whatever the price has been and / or is being paid ever since being subjected to genocide in their own homeland.
Among those exiled ones who have taken the route of cinematic expression, is a new emerging ‘Dhurandhar’ of our exiled Pandit community Ashwin Dhar, whose work in the latest craze of the cinema world – Dhurandhar 1 & 2, has received a lot of attention / commendation from the fans, the print and electronic media.
Much has already been written / spoken about the film as such since its world-wide release (Part one released on December 5, 2025 and part two on March 19, 2026). I will focus on the subject only.
Among the excellent performances of stalwarts like Ranveer Sigh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt and Rakesh Bedi in the two-part film, the performance of the character of ‘Arshad Pappu’ is rightly the talk of the town. That Ashwin Dhar finds a comparison with SRK – the ‘‘super star’’ of Indian cinema in viral social media itself reflects the immense talent of the younger actor who has till now worked in more than a dozen films – starting from his debut film Kabul Express in 2006. Produced by Aditya Chopra, under the banner of famed Yash Raj Films, Kabul Express had achieved ‘moderate commercial success’ then.
Among the notable films that Ashwin has worked in till date, include: Hijack (2008), D-Day (2013), The Xpose (2014), Padmaavat (2018), Shikara (2020) and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (2024) in which Ashwin has played the role of Pakistani political heavy weight-Jinnah.
Ashwin’s roles may not have been long, but his performances are impressive in each of the characters that he has portrayed till now including the latest one-that of-much talked about Arshad Pappu in the ‘‘all-time blockbuster’’ film Dharanidhar (1&2). The actor has been “earning praise for his portrayal of gangster Arshad Pappu in Dhurandhar The Revenge. Recently, he has also been trending online, with fans drawing comparisons between one of his looks in the film and actor Shah Rukh Khan’s appearance at the 2025 Met Gala” notes Mahima Pandey (HT City, Delhi NCR; April 9, 2026).
Ashwin Dhar is also a stage artist and keeps on performing on stage from time to time. In addition, he has also been a part of the TV series titled: ‘Mukhbir -The Story of a Spy’ (Network ZEE5; 2022).
The instrument of a strong pen continues to fight the jihadi terrorism that has played havoc in different corners of the world, especially in Kashmir valley in recent history. Film directors / producers like the Dhar brothers – Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar have proved, through their brilliant collaboration and art, that pen is always mightier than ‘………’. More ink to your pens Aditya and Lokesh.
Meanwhile, feel proud of Ashwin DHAR – the emerging ‘DhuranDHAR’ of the cinema world.
Keep rocking all DhuranDHARs……… Yes, We Can!
