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The success of Dhurandhar: The Revenge has sparked many conversations about patriotic storytelling in Bollywood, and one of the most surprising ones is coming from author Harinder Sikka. The man whose 2008 espionage novel Calling Sehmat inspired the Alia Bhatt-starrer Raazi has taken to X to publicly express his regret over how the book was adapted into a film. His posts have been making rounds, and the things he has said are quite something.

Posting on X on March 29, 2026, Harinder Sikka called his decision to bring Meghna Gulzar on board as his gravest misjudgment, saying that despite receiving clear warnings, he failed to anticipate how ideological bias would dilute the protagonist’s true spirit on screen. He shared a picture of a stack of espionage books, including Calling Sehmat, with a caption that read, Dhurandhar 2 gave us a cinematic glimpse, and here is where the real story begins.

Harinder Sikka wrote on X that Calling Sehmat ranks among the top spy thriller books ever written globally and exposes cross-border tensions, hostile elements within the film industry, and criminal networks rooted in Punjab. He maintained that the film failed to capture the essence of the original narrative. This is not the first time Harinder Sikka has spoken about this. In an earlier exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, he had said that while dealing with the adaptation of Calling Sehmat, he made a blunder in handing it over to Meghna Gulzar and that he was cautioned by many that she does not keep her word and took the story and pushed her negative agenda.

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Beyond the criticism, Harinder Sikka also expressed his desire to see the story told again, this time in the spirit it deserves. He suggested that Yami Gautam, who delivered a strong performance in Dhurandhar: The Revenge as Captain Fatima Malik, would be his choice to play Sehmat in a more authentic retelling of Calling Sehmat.

Raazi, which was produced under Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions, was made on a budget of Rs 37 crore and went on to earn Rs 195 crore worldwide. Despite its commercial success, Harinder Sikka clearly feels the soul of his book never truly made it to the screen, and the Dhurandhar wave has given him the confidence to say it out loud. Whether a remake ever happens remains to be seen, but this conversation is one the industry is definitely paying attention to!

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The post Is Alia Bhatt’s Raazi Being Reimagined With Yami Gautam After Harinder Sikka’s Comments? Here’s What We Know first appeared on MissMalini.