Dhurandhar: ‘Not a game at all’: Canadian PM Mark Carney and Finland’s president Alexander Stubb discuss ‘Dhurandhar’ during a jog in London |
A video shared by Finland’s president Alexander Stubb shows him jogging through London’s Hyde Park with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney while casually discussing the Hindi blockbuster Dhurandhar. The clip, posted on Stubb’s social media account, captures the two leaders running together with their spouses during Carney’s visit to the British capital. In the short exchange, Carney asks Stubb about his recent surge in Instagram popularity in India. The Finnish president replies that it “was huge” after he mentioned watching Dhurandhar, adding that after seeing the film he realised it was “not a game at all.”
World leaders discuss ‘Dhurandhar’ during a random jog in Hyde Park
The video shows the two leaders jogging through Hyde Park in a relaxed setting, chatting informally as they run. During the conversation, Carney asks Stubb how his recent social media moment in India went.“How was your Insta thing in India?” Carney asks.Stubb responds that the reaction was massive after he revealed he had watched Dhurandhar. Reflecting on the film’s themes, he adds that after seeing it he realised the subject matter was “not a game at all,” an apparent reference to the serious issues of terrorism and intelligence work portrayed in the movie.The brief exchange quickly circulated online, particularly among Indian audiences who recognised the film mentioned in the conversation.
The film behind the discussion
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, became one of the most widely discussed Hindi films after its release in late 2025. The film centres on an undercover Indian intelligence officer involved in a high-stakes counter-terrorism operation tied to cross-border networks.Its portrayal of espionage, national security and geopolitical tensions helped the film attract significant attention both in India and abroad. Dhurandhar performed strongly at the box office and emerged as one of the most prominent Hindi films of the year.
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What aspect of ‘Dhurandhar’ excites you the most?
The franchise is now set to continue with Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The trailer for the sequel was recently launched and has already generated considerable interest among audiences. The film is scheduled for release on 19 March and is being positioned as a larger and more ambitious continuation of the original story. Building on the themes of intelligence operations and counter-terrorism introduced in the first instalment, the new film is expected to expand the espionage narrative with higher stakes, a more complex mission and a broader geopolitical backdrop.
Stubb’s earlier comments in India
The Finnish president had already spoken publicly about the film during his official visit to India earlier in March 2026. During interviews at the time, Stubb said the movie had been recommended by his son and that he watched it shortly before travelling to the country.His remarks quickly gained traction on social media in India, with many users welcoming the unexpected endorsement from a foreign leader. In the days following the interview, Stubb saw a noticeable increase in his Instagram followers, a moment he later referenced during the Hyde Park jog with Carney.The Hyde Park outing took place while Carney was in London for meetings with business leaders and policymakers. The run offered a glimpse of the more informal side of diplomacy, with the two leaders speaking casually about a Bollywood blockbuster while moving through one of the city’s most recognisable public spaces.Such moments often reveal how global politics increasingly intersects with everyday culture and media. The reference to Dhurandhar illustrated how Indian cinema, with its strong storytelling and growing global appeal, now travels easily into broader international conversations. As films from India continue to reach audiences far beyond their traditional markets, they increasingly function as a form of cultural influence that shapes perceptions, sparks debate and occasionally surfaces even in the informal exchanges of world leaders.
