The unprecedented success of Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Dhurandhar 2) has indeed caused a significant stir in the Indian film industry. The Aditya Dhar’s directorial featuring Ranveer Singh, is being called as a “reset button” for Indian cinema, with its box office performance sending shockwaves across both Bollywood and the South Indian film industry.
Within just 9 days, the film crossed the ₹1,100 crore ($11 billion) mark worldwide, making it one of the fastest to enter the 1,000-crore club.
It has surpassed the collections of major hits, including its own prequel (Dhurandhar), Pushpa 2, and other established spy franchises.
The film achieved a historic feat, with some reports indicating its Hindi version nearly crossed ₹100 crore in a single day, a benchmark earlier considered impossible for Bollywood.
The film’s success is seen as a shift toward grand spectacle, stylized violence, and exaggerated masculinity, diminishing the presence of “middle-class” or “relatable” heroes in mainstream, big-screen cinema.
Trade analysts, reportedly view Dhurandhar 2 as a “giant killer” that proves audiences prefer “heart over hype” (spectacle) in theatres, driving the audience away from low-budget dramas.
The film has received tremendous, open praise from Southern superstars and directors, including Allu Arjun, Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, and Ram Charan, who lauded the technical brilliance and the film’s “patriotic” theme.
Netizens and critics noted a “deafening silence” or muted response from major sections of Bollywood regarding the film’s success, with some speculating this is due to internal trade equations and the film being a “standalone” project that outperformed established franchises.
The film’s intense, nationalistic tone and its depiction of real-world geopolitical events have led to intense debates, including a Wikipedia war over whether the film should be labeled “propaganda”.
The film faced some scrutiny, including a petition by the family of a late army officer (though the film was clarified not to be based on him) and issues with scenes involving sensitive topics.
News Edit KV Raman
