In an industry long driven by opening weekend numbers, star power and formulaic storytelling, the cult franchise has arrived like a disruption no one saw coming. director Aditya Dhar and in front Ranveer SinghThe two-part saga – Dhurandhar (2025) and Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) has not only broken records but also redefined the way Hindi cinema thinks about scale, storytelling and success.With a combined runtime of 443 minutes and a worldwide gross of Rs 2,900 crore, the franchise has done the unthinkable: It has proven that audiences will come, stay engaged and even return to theaters – if the content demands it.But beyond the figures lies a deeper industry reset.
Not just star power, but a perfect storm
manufacturer Anand Pandit It is clear that the success of Dhurandhar cannot be depended on any one factor. “Action films always have a strong fan base, and ‘Dhurandhaar’ once again proved it. The success of a film depends on many factors, and timing is clearly one of them. In this case, the second part was released within a few months of the first installment, which worked in its favour. Casting also played an important role. Actors like akshay khanna And in the first part, Sanjay Dutt gave a strong performance along with Ranveer Singh. So, when you look at it, everything came together, the star cast, the performances and the timing, all of them have contributed to the success of the film,” he told ETimes. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh also agrees with the same sentiment, but goes a step further and calls the franchise a turning point.“I think all these factors – and the fact that both films ushered in a new era of storytelling along with the story – played a role. Before the release, expectations were not very high. I very clearly remember asking about advance booking, and a top distributor-turned-exhibitor said advance booking is not so good… Let’s hope for a good weekend. But the way the film opened – yes, it didn’t open big – but the way people got the buzz. Saturday was big, Sunday was huge, and from Monday onwards it was like an unstoppable march,” he told us. This change is important. For years, Bollywood has leaned on spectacular filmmaking first – big stars, big budget, big marketing. Fandom inverts that equation: content drives spectacle, not the other way around.
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Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar 2 created a stir, tickets sold out despite price hike
The sequel that refused to be just a sequel
One of the boldest moves was the rapid release of the sequel. In an industry where the gap between installments is often years, Dhurandhar 2 arrived within a few months of the first film.Pandit explains the strategic genius, “‘Dhurandhar 2’ worked because it continued the story from the first part. It follows the same characters, and in a way, the first installment feels like an interlude block, while the second part plays out like the second half of the film. The gaps left in the first half are joined together in the second half. In many sequels, the focus becomes too much on making things bigger and louder and the main plot often gets diluted. But in ‘Dhurandhar 2’, the progression feels natural and remains well connected to its predecessor.This structural consistency is rare in Bollywood sequels, which often prioritize scale over storytelling. Here, the narrative thread remains intact – tight, purposeful and emotionally resonant.
Opening weekend word of mouth
If Dhurandhar has proven anything, it’s this – starting numbers can be bought, but not longevity.Pandit explains from wide experience, “Word of mouth plays a major role, especially in maintaining steady collections. This is true for films regardless of the language. For example, when my Gujarati film ‘Chaniya Toli’ released, it broke the first day collection record of my own production ‘Phakt Mahilao Maate’ worldwide, and became the highest first day grosser for a Gujarati film.The word-of-mouth promotion was so strong that by the second weekend, ‘Chania Toli’ was already being tagged a super hit, and saw strong audience attendance, especially for the evening show. So, in today’s digital age, the opening weekend may be driven by hype, but a film’s run depends on what people say about it.Adarsh reinforces this with his own trajectory of Dhurandhar, “It didn’t really open big, but the way it grew… From Monday onwards it was an unstoppable march. Both the films were successful because of the story, music, performances, dialogues, characters… everything was good.
Realism, risk, and the rewriting of the detective genre
Perhaps the biggest creative change is in tone. While comparisons with franchise films like ‘Pathan’ or ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ are inevitable, Adarsh insists that Dhurandhar has earned its place.Adarsh says, “It was a spy thriller but in a very different way. We have seen spy thrillers in the past… It was very different. There is a lot of realism in it. Every actor, every performance, every character was excellent. I would say that everyone associated with this film is brilliant. There is no scoundrel.”He also acknowledges moments that felt unconventional, “There are some sequences – like after the interval – that felt a little unusual to me, but I was prepared because the tone had already been established. When a film like this releases, you should celebrate it.”
Marketing without the traditional playbook
The franchise broke another industry myth – the need for aggressive, paid PR campaigns.Adarsh explains, “They haven’t followed the format that goes into marketing a film. It’s completely different. You need to compare it with the spy films made in Bollywood… It’s fundamentally different and better. Today, those films pale in comparison.”Pandit adds a strategic dimension, “The ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise shows that larger-than-life cinematic experiences can still bring audiences to theatres, even in an era dominated by OTT platforms. It is a large-scale film, not only in terms of runtime, but also in terms of its overall design, especially the casting, music, and action choreography. Its tremendous buzz on social media has also helped in increasing the curiosity among the audience.The second part arrived soon after the first part released on OTT, so those who missed watching it in theaters could also follow the story without losing the flow. “At the same time, the success of the film also shows that marketing should focus on what the film is about rather than just highlighting its scale.”
Busting the ‘OTT vs Theatre’ myth
At a time when OTT platforms were considered the dominant force, Dhurandhar proved that theaters are far from obsolete.“One thing has been proven – people used to say Bollywood is over, OTT has taken over. Not at all. The theatrical business is still alive. People want to watch films on the big screen… but on one condition: give them a good film,” Adarsh asserts.He adds, “People were buying tickets priced at Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500. It’s not that the audience doesn’t want to spend – they will want to spend if the film is worth it.
Star Power No Longer Enough: The Content-First Era?
The success also points to a deeper change in audiences.Pandit explains, “Post-Covid, there has been a clear change in audience expectations, with more attraction towards large-scale performances that provide a proper theater experience. However, action films especially require a high level of technical quality to keep the audience engaged and match the international standards in terms of quality. At the same time, interest in fresh and original ideas is also increasing.Although stars can still attract the initial crowd, it is not easy to predict the audience’s preferences. We have seen that films with heavy promotion before release failed at the box office, while some smaller films managed to do well. This trend is not limited to Hindi cinema. For example, in Malayalam cinema, the recent release Vaazha 2, which features relatively new faces including social media influencers, is performing well and is also matching the opening figures set by big-star films.So, relying only on star power is no longer enough. You cannot assume that getting dates from a superstar will guarantee success.The blockbuster franchise has done what very few films have been able to do – it forced Bollywood to confront its own assumptions.Do shorter films work better? Proved wrong.Do the stars guarantee success? Not true anymore.That OTT has destroyed theatres? Busted.That marketing requires huge expenses? not necessarily.Adarsh puts it even more clearly, “This is a reboot and reset button for the industry. People have to agree on how they are reaching audiences.”
A cultural moment, not just a movie
In a surprising comparison, Aadarsh places Dhurandhar alongside landmark cinematic moments.“I remember the craze of films like Sholay… the same kind of craze I’m seeing here. I’m not making direct comparisons, but the impact, the buzz—it reminds you of those times.”He further adds, “Today, the number one Hindi film of all time is Dhurandhar 2, number two is Dhurandhar again, and number three is Pushpa 2 (Hindi). It’s a great feeling to see Hindi cinema back on top.”And despite the lukewarm response from some quarters, he has remained candid. “Whether people praise it or not, the fact is that Dhurandhar 2 is on top. You can’t deny it. The numbers are there for all to see.”
Final Takeaway
If there’s one lesson the industry must internalize, it’s that clarity of vision is better than formula.Adarsh says it best, “Make a good film, make it honestly and stick to your convictions. That’s very important. If you believe in what you’re making, it will connect. Thousands of people stood by that conviction for this film… and audiences are watching, and watching again. That repeat value is a very rare phenomenon.”
