On Day 2 of TV9 Network’s What India Thinks Today 2026, Former Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Minister, and actress Smriti Irani also jumped on the bandwagon, praising director Aditya and actor Rakesh Bedi. She lauded their craft despite coming from humble backgrounds and delivering a blockbuster of a film.
Smriti Irani praises Aditya Dhar and Rakesh Bedi for Dhurandhar 2
Speaking at WITT 2026, Smriti stated, “Agar aap Dhurandhar dekhein, toh kai logon ko uska music pasand aa raha hai, kai logon ko action pasand aa raha hai, aur kai logon ko desh ke prati jo jazba dikhaya gaya hai, woh pasand aa raha hai. Main ek vyakti ko dekhti hoon jo dhai-teen saal se kuch likh raha hai. Woh ek saadhaaran background se aata hai, Kashmiri Pandit parivaar se hai. Woh apni vyatha ko kisi kamzor ya dabee hui awaaz ke roop mein pesh nahi kar raha, balki josh aur kharosh ke saath apne craft ko saamne la raha hai. Woh saadhaaran vyakti aaj ek aspiration ban gaya hai. (Today, everyone is talking about Dhurandhar repeatedly. If you watch the film, many people like its music, some enjoy the action, and others appreciate the patriotic spirit it portrays. I see a person who has been writing something for the past two to three years. He comes from a simple background, from a Kashmiri Pandit family. He is not presenting his pain as something weak or suppressed, but is expressing his craft with passion and intensity. That ordinary person has now become an aspiration.)”
Smriti Irani at #WITT2026 shares her rags-to-riches story: “Many watch films through a societal lens, but I saw the story itself. Dhurandhar inspired me—Vijay Dinanath’s character motivated me to buy a house for my mother. Stories can truly shape life choices.” #Inspiration # pic.twitter.com/prvybWsrw5
— News9 (@News9Tweets) March 24, 2026
She further added, “Main Rakesh Bedi jaise actor ko dekhti hoon, jo tab se is craft mein hain jab hum paida bhi nahi hue the, jab humne is field mein kadam bhi nahi rakha tha. Jo pehle kai projects mein ek comic part hua karte the, aaj woh uske kendr bindu mein hain. (I see an actor like Rakesh Bedi, who has been part of this craft since before we were even born or had stepped into this field. Earlier he played comic roles in many projects, but today he is at the centre of it.)”
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TV9 Network’s What India Thinks Today
TV9’s What India Thinks Today 2026 began on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the keynote address. Attending the summit for the third time, he highlighted its theme, “India and the World”, while marking the official inauguration of WITT 2026.