Meet India’s OG Dhurandhars, From Ajit Doval To Ravindra Kaushik, Indian Spies And Their Stories

Aditya Dhar’s movie, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, has been grabbing the attention. The spy-thriller had its first part’s release on December 5, 2025, and now the second part was released on March 19, 2026, and oh boy, it is rightfully being called a masterpiece by Aditya Dhar.

The movie is fictionalised and is not based on but influenced by real-life events. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is currently running in the theatres, which shows how ‘Jaskirat Singh Rangi’ turned into an Indian spy ‘Hamza’ and infiltrated Pakistani terrorists and outfits. Amid the peak love for the movie, let’s have a look at the real-life heroes of India, who not only did their duties but also, with their work, remained at the centre of the nation’s heart.

A beggar in disguise: Ajit Doval and how he remained undercover in Pakistan for six years

Ajit Doval is an Indian bureaucrat, spymaster and retired police and intelligence officer, and he has been serving as the longest tenured National Security Advisor of India (NSA) since 2014. He is well-known for counter terrorism and covert missions, and he has worked as a career intelligence officer for nearly 33 years. In the 1980s, already a decorated officer of India, who was known for his Sikkim mission and collaborative work with IB, was given the objective of uncovering Pakistan’s secret nuclear ambitions from the most secure research zones. Doval was undercover for six to seven years.

He was living the life of a beggar, on the streets of Pakistan, but behind those torn clothes and unkempt hair was an intelligent mind and the real Dhurandhar. Back then, Pakistan wanted to have its hands on nuclear weapons, and it was India’s 1974 nuclear test that prompted Pakistan to have its own nuclear program with the help of other countries like China. Well, Doval was assigned to stay undercover and to gather information so that India could shape the national security strategy. His life was under constant threat because a slight 19-20 mistake could not only mean his life being at risk but the entire nation’s security map being in the limelight.

For six years, Ajit Doval stayed in the roads of Islamabad’s Kahuta, home to the infamous Khan Research Laboratories. Like a beggar, he was living, while keeping a keen eye on the scientists, their daily routine, and their everyday moves. The breakthrough came when Ajit Doval arrived at the local barber shop, where the scientists would come to trim their hair.

Which normal people would avoid, Ajit Doval collected the strands of hair, and sent them to India for analysis, which proved what India already feared, which was that Pakistan was developing nuclear weapons. With Ajit Doval’s mastery and contribution, India could successfully map the security, and as per the experts, his work pushed back Pakistan’s nuclear testing for 15 years.

The Black Tiger of India: Ravindra Kaushik

Ravindra Kaushik, known as India’s Black Tiger, remained one of the most respected spies of India. He was born in Rajasthan, to an Indian Air Force officer father. He graduated from S. D. Bihani P. G. College, Sri Ganganagar, earning a B.Com, and was also involved with theatres and debates, which caught the attention of the Research and Analysis Wing, who later hired and trained him in Delhi to send him to Pakistan. He was trained for two years and was given the name of ‘Nabi Ahmed Shakir’ to be the undercover operative in Pakistan. 

At 23 years old, Ravindra was sent to Pakistan, and he got a successful admission in Karachi University and even earned an LLB degree. He later infiltrated the Pakistani Military under a false identity and joined the Pakistan Army as a clerk. From 1979 to 1983, Ravindra worked with the Pakistani Army and shared valuable information with RA&W. In 1983, India sent a low-level operative, Inyat Masih, to be in contact with Kaushik; however, the former was caught, and while he was being tortured, he exposed The Black Tiger’s identity.

He was tortured for two years in the Sialkot interrogation centre and was sentenced to death in 1985, but was later given a life term by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. For 16 years, he was in a Pakistani jail, and reportedly, he used to send letters to his family secretly. In 2001, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis and heart disease in Central Jail, Mianwali, Pakistan.

Mohanlal Bhaskar: An Indian Spy in Pakistan

Another famous name in Indian spy history was Mohanlal Bhaskar. He was born in 1942 in Punjab and completed his MA and B.Ed and pursued a teaching job. He later became the Vice Principal of the Teachers’ Training Institute, Government of Sikkim. However, in the following years of his life changed when he was sent to Pakistan as a spy to gather information about the country’s nuclear power plants.

In his book, he revealed details about his time in Pakistan, wherein he also revealed entering the country 16 times in the first 15 months of his service. He was later arrested in 1968, and it was stated that he was betrayed by one of his colleagues, who worked as a double agent for Pakistan and India. He was tortured after being arrested, and eventually was given a death sentence; however, a higher court reduced the sentence to 14 years. He could return to India in 1974, through the Simla Agreement during the 1971 war.

Female Dhurandhars: Saraswathi Rajamani and Neera Arya

Saraswathi Rajamani is believed to be India’s youngest spy, who joined the INA at 16 years old. She was born into an influential family, but she sacrificed all her material assets for Netaji’s cause. Being in awe of her spirit, Netjai hired her and she was recruited to the military intelligence wing. She, along with her colleagues, dressed as boys and used to gather information by infiltrating British camps. During one of such missions, she was caught with her team, and while rescuing a fellow spy, she was shot, but she escaped the same.

Another brave female spy of India was Neera Arya, who was the first female spy of the Azad Hind Fauj. Neera was married to a British Army Officer, Srikant Jai Ranjan Das, and was said to have killed him to save Netaji when a murder attempt was made. Neera was arrested and tortured to an extreme level, but she never shared any information or betrayed our country.

What do you think about the real OG Dhurandhars of India, who didn’t care about their lives and rather gave their all, leaving a true example of true patriotism?

Also Read: ‘Dhurandhar: 2’, Is ‘Hamza’ Real? His Portrayal Leads Viewers To Find Links Of An Alleged Indian Spy