From portraying Rahim Chacha in Sholay as a Muslim victim to belittling Lord Shiva in PK to creating a fictitious Muslim character in Mission Mangal who was refused by Hindus for a rented apartment - the narrative of Bollywood is crumbling under the pressure of Dhurandhar.

1. Sholay – Rahim Chacha as the Muslim victim

This is often cited as an early Bollywood trope where:

• the Muslim character is helpless,
  
  

• the Hindu characters rescue or avenge him,
  
  

• the film reinforces a “secular harmony through victimhood” script.
  
  

For decades, Bollywood used Muslim characters as symbols of suffering, moral purity, or loyalty — sometimes to signal “Nehruvian secularism.”

2. PK – Scenes perceived as belittling Hindu beliefs

Many viewers felt:

• the satire was disproportionately aimed at Hindu rituals and gods,
  
  

• whereas Islamic or Christian institutions were barely touched,
  
  

• suggesting selective bravery or political convenience.
  
  

This intensified distrust toward certain filmmakers who were accused of mocking Hindu faith while avoiding criticism of others.

3. Mission Mangal – The fictional Muslim scientist denied a rented flat

This scene suggested:

• Hindus discriminate against Muslims in housing,
  
  

• reinforcing a stereotype,
  
  

• despite being fabricated and not part of the real ISRO story.
  
  

To many audiences, this felt like importing political messaging into an otherwise apolitical scientific film.

Why People Are Now Calling This “Dhurandhar” Pressure

The word “Dhurandhar” has become a shorthand for:

• unapologetic assertion of Hindu identity,
  
  

• calling out biased symbolism,
  
  

• rejection of “one-sided secularism”,
  
  

• reclaiming cultural narratives.
  
  

Audiences today are:

- questioning stereotypes

- challenging anti-Hindu portrayals

- rejecting guilt-driven storytelling

- supporting content that reflects cultural pride

- noticing inconsistencies in “selective sensitivity”

This shift has brought discomfort to filmmakers who were used to a monopoly on defining “secular messaging.”

Thus the phrase “Bollywood’s narrative is crumbling” reflects a cultural correction, not censorship.

What Changed?

1. Social Media Accountability

Bollywood no longer controls the narrative.
Audiences analyze, fact-check, and call out bias instantly.

2. Rise of Alternate Cinema

Films like Kashmir Files, Kantara, Karthikeya, Tanhaji, 12th Fail, etc., show a new appetite for rooted storytelling.

3. Public Fatigue With Certain Tropes

Viewers are tired of:

• Hindu caricatures
  
  

• victimhood templates
  
  

• forced message-messaging
  
  

• moral lectures disguised as entertainment
  
  

4. Assertion of Cultural Identity

A De-colonized, self-aware generation sees itself not through Bollywood lenses but through history, tradition, and civilizational pride.

Is Bollywood Changing? Absolutely.

We now see:

• fewer “Hindu villain–Muslim victim” scripts
  
  

• more balanced portrayals
  
  

• cautious treatment of religious themes
  
  

• growing demand for authenticity
  
  

• less tolerance for ideological propaganda
  
  

This is not a collapse — it is a realignment.

Bollywood’s old secular-victimhood formula is losing grip.
A culturally confident audience — “Dhurandhar Bharat” — is demanding respect, balance, and authenticity.

Hindi cinema is entering a phase where narratives must match reality, not ideology.