After six consecutive weeks, Dhurandhar continues to dominate the box office, powered by unwavering support from Indian cinegoers.
According to Jio studios the film's domestic earnings now stand at Rs 869.80 crore, further cementing its status as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time.
Amid the film's historic run, Suniel Shetty, during the promotion of his upcoming reality show Bharat Ke Super Founders, spoke to NDTV about Dhurandhar, calling it "an insane film" and praising its scale, ambition and performances.
Shetty was effusive in his admiration for the Aditya Dhar directorial, describing it as a defining cinematic experience for today's audiences.
Shetty believes Dhurandhar works because it understands the changing viewing habits shaped by OTT platforms. According to him, Aditya Dhar has cracked the code of contemporary storytelling. "I think Aditya Dhar is beyond an end-all of cinema when it comes to writing, direction and belief," Shetty said.
He explained how the filmmaker leaned into long-form storytelling instead of resisting it. "He realised that people are used to OTT, so he said, you want OTT? I'll give it to you on a larger screen. I'll give you four hours on the big screen, and people lapped it up."
The actor also used the moment to reflect on a larger issue within the film industry, the lack of encouragement among peers. While stressing the importance of honest criticism, Shetty said tearing films down helps no one. "We need our industry to understand that we have to support each other and not run each other down," he said.
"I am not saying if you're a critic, don't criticise cinema. I am saying to critically appreciate cinema. Say you didn't like something but also acknowledge what is damn good in the film and what could have been better. Not just 'iski dhajjiyaan uda di'. I don't know what's wrong with us. We need to encourage each other."
When it came to performances, Shetty was unequivocal in his praise, singling out both Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer Singh. Speaking about his Border costar, he said, "The performances are outstanding. Akshaye Khanna is ten on ten. He is a fantastic actor." But it was Ranveer Singh who, according to Shetty, truly stood out. "Ranveer Singh is 100 out of 10. It is Ranveer Singh all the way."
What impressed Shetty most was not loud heroism, but restraint. While Akshaye Khanna had a lot to perform on screen, Ranveer's challenge lay in holding back.
"Akshaye is brilliant, but Ranveer was restrained. He held back, and that's the most difficult thing to do. Showing jingoism as a hero is easy and the audience believes it. But sitting back in another country, yearning for your motherland and wanting to do something, that's very tough."
Shetty went a step further, imagining Ranveer's journey ahead in the franchise. "I can only imagine him in Dhurandhar 2. Legendary. Legendary. Hats off to the kid. Phenomenal," he said.
Suniel Shetty will next be seen in a very different role, not as an action hero but as a host and mentor on Bharat Ke Super Founders. The entrepreneurial reality series brings together seasoned business tycoons backing founders with clarity, discipline and long-term vision.
With Shetty guiding participants through grit, resilience and purpose, the show premieres on Amazon MX Player on January 16, marking yet another chapter in the actor's evolving journey on and off screen.
