Unpacking the Philosophy Behind 'Asto Ma Sadgamaya' In Dhurandhar

I have always admired films that do more than just shoot, chase, and explode. #Dhurandhar is one of those rare cases. What stayed with me, long after the credits rolled, was not the action or the carnage—it was the quiet power of a mantra: Asto Ma Sadgamaya, Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya.

When Rahman Dakait rises at the end, cigarette in hand, and the mantra hums behind him, I immediately thought of Shakespeare. And here’s the clever bit: Aditya Dhar has titled the last chapter of the film Et tu, Brutus?—just like in Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare’s play, Caesar is stabbed by Brutus, his friend, and cries out, shocked at the betrayal. Brutus, loyal to Rome but tormented by conscience, is haunted by Caesar’s ghost before the Battle of Philippi and again during the battle. The weight of guilt is unbearable, and in the end, Brutus takes his own life.

Hamza (Jaskrit Singh Rangi), however, is not Brutus. Rahman Dakait may try to be his ghost, whispering fear, dragging him into darkness, but Hamza is guided by the mantra. Lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. He knows he has done what needed to be done—he has killed the handlers behind the Mumbai attacks. There is no guilt, only clarity, only righteousness. Dhar’s choice to title the chapter Et tu, Brutus? is brilliant: it signals betrayal, confrontation, and moral reckoning, yet Hamza turns it on its head. Where Brutus falters under guilt, Hamza walks confidently into the light.

The Battle of Philippi in Shakespeare’s play reminds us of the consequences of moral compromise. Dhar echoes that battle, but psychologically. Hamza’s confrontation with Rahman Dakait is his own “battle,” yet instead of succumbing to fear or guilt, he emerges liberated, steadfast, and morally unshakable. The mantra becomes his armor, his compass, his guide out of the darkness Rahman Dakait tries to impose.

And I couldn’t help but smile, thinking: this is what true courage looks like—not hesitation, not doubt, but walking boldly into the light of duty, guided by knowledge and moral clarity. Dhar has not just made an action film; he has made a philosophical one, quietly teaching us that the light of duty outshines even the most fearsome darkness.