The Aditya Dhar-directed spy thriller 'Dhurandhar' received rave reviews. Do you know Arjun Rampal's character was reportedly inspired by Pakistani Militant turned terrorist, Ilyas Kashmiri?
Aditya Dhar’s much-awaited film, Dhurandhar, released in theaters on December 5, 2025. The film features an elaborate star cast, including Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Akshaye Khanna. The film, which showcases extreme violence, is set against the backdrop of significant events such as the hijacking of IC-814 in 1999 and the Parliament attack in 2001.
Since the film is based on true events, each character is inspired by real people. It is Arjun Rampal’s ruthless portrayal of ‘Major Iqbal’ that drew a lot of attention. Arjun, who plays the role of an antagonist, is in his chilling avatar, inspired by an equally terrorising character.
When the trailer of Dhurandhar was released, the opening sequence showed the torture endured by 'Major Saurabh Kalia' at the hands of the Pakistani Army as he was taken prisoner. The man who did the gore act was none other than ‘Major Iqbal’, a role portrayed by Arjun Rampal. It is reported that Arjun’s role was inspired by Pakistani militant turned terrorist, Mohammed Ilyas Kashmiri.
Illyas Kashmiri was one of the most dreaded militant-turned-terrorists of Pakistan. It was during the Soviet war in Afghanistan that Ilyas trained the Afghan mujahideen rebels to handle explosives. He, along with other militants, formed the jihadist organisation, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and carried out militant activities in Kashmir. Ilyas collaborated with the Taliban and carried out a lot of terror attacks.
Ilyas has been associated with a number of terror attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2010 Pune bombing, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and the killing of Ameer Faisal Alavi. It was Ilyas who proposed the Mumbai attacks to al-Qaeda leaders.
Ilyas shared a very close connection with al-Qaeda leader Osama. It is also reported that Osama had asked him to plan an attack on Barack Obama, as per a column by David Ignatius. After Osama was killed, Ilyas’s name was put forward as a possible successor to lead the organisation. The United States had labelled Ilyas Kashmiri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2010.
In 2011, Ilyas was reported to have been killed in a drone attack by the US. However, there were many rumours stating that Ilyas survived the attack and was seen multiple times. In 2012, Al Qaeda's lead spokesman, Ustad Ahmad Farooq, confirmed Ilyas Kashmiri’s death in an audiotape.
After the trailer's release, Arjun Rampal’s character was one of the most widely discussed topics due to the gore it featured. During the trailer launch at NMACC, when Arjun was asked about his ruthless character and the opening shoot of him in the film, he smartly dodged the question and said:
“I don’t want to talk about the scene much, because when I talk about a scene, the process, and the director’s mind, I find myself very boring. Toh uske baare me baat nahi karunga.”
What do you think about Arjun Rampal’s real-life portrayal of one of the most dreaded terrorists, Illyas Kashmiri?
Also Read: Is Dhurandhar Based On Real Events? If Not Mohit Sharma, Then Whose Role Is Ranveer Singh Playing?