Any publicity is good publicity and nothing succeeds like success. Dhurandhar has proved both of these oft-quoted adages right.
The star-studded spectacle, fronted by Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, shows no signs of slowing down, box office or social media chatter.
Dhurandhar, based on some "incredible true events", was already battling more than one controversy when it hit the theatres on December 5. There was too much secrecy about the exact plot but that also 'leaked' just days before the film was released. And when Dhurandhar came, it hit like a storm and set the cash registers ringing, becoming one of the most talked about movies in recent years by a crosssection of viewers.
As of today, Dhurandhar -- a high-octane spy thriller mounted on a reported budget of Rs 280 crore -- has earned Rs 351 crore at the domestic box office in nine days, already emerging a bona fide hit.
Much like Dhurandhar itself, the story of its mega success can also be divided into chapters.
Chapter 1: Dhurandhar's Pre-Release Strategy And Subsequent Controversies
A prestige project, Dhurandhar was announced in July 2024 with big stars and with a director that was returning to the field after the resounding success of his 2019 debut Uri: The Surgical Strike. Aditya Dhar was making his second film with a brand new star cast: Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt.
Ranveer Singh was coming back almost two years after Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
"This is what movie dreams are made of!" the makers said at the time, and were they right.
Nothing at all about the film was let out, besides some unconfirmed reports that it's a big-stakes spy movie and some photos of Ranveer Singh sporting an unruly mane.
Almost a year later, Dhurandhar makers shared the first look video of the movie on social media on lead star Ranveer Singh's 40th birthday, set to its title track that caught everyone's attention apart from how the cast looked. What drew criticism (and attention) was Ranveer Singh's pairing with the 20-year younger actor Sara Arjun.
As the release date came closer, the chatter online only grew. One by one, the characters were introduced to the public through posters and when the trailer was released in November, we had names of the characters played by the actors, except for Ranveer Singh's. He was simply referred to as 'The Wrath of God'.
Soon, many on social media started comparing the reel characters in Dhurandhar to the real ones. And after the release we find that some of those guesses were not completely off the mark. There was also a controversy around Ranveer Singh's character being based on Major Mohit Sharma, a claim Aditya Dhar publicly denied.
Days ahead of the release, Ranveer Singh landed in trouble for mimicking the Daiva Chavundi scene from Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1, leading to a police complaint and a section of social media users calling for a boycott of Dhurandhar. After backlash, Ranveer Singh apologised for his actions.
The jukebox of Dhurandhar had already become a huge hit, with its title song and Ishq Jalakar, a recreated version of the famed qawwali Na To Karvaan Ki Talaash Hai from the 1960 film Barsaat Ki Raat.
But when that Friday came, the audiences flocked to the cinemas to watch Dhurandhar, which was dubbed as the longest Hindi film in 17 years since Jodhaa Akbar, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan.
Chapter 2: Dhurandhar Releases With Breakout Performances (Akshaye Khanna Ate And How)
You may have gone for Ranveer Singh or even the scale of the movie, but there's a great chance you returned from the theatre totally charmed by Akshaye Khanna's stellar performance. More or less about what was already out in the public domain as unconfirmed reports was proven right. A film about undercover agents and spies who infiltrate Pakistan as part of a plan that was hatched years ago to settle scores with the neighbour for all its terrorist activities.
It is also about the combined glory of guns, gore and machismo, so much so that the 3 hour 34 minute doesn't really weigh heavy. But its storytelling is indulgent and a tad bit muddled based on very real inputs by high-placed sources, blending a heady cocktail of fact and fiction months after Operation Sindoor.
Dhurandhar couldn't help but become a buzzword constantly trending on the Internet.
The surprise was Akshaye Khanna's performance in the FA9LA song by Bahraini rapper Flipperachi that was not part of the audio jukebox. Notwithstanding his layered act as the villainous Rehman Dakait, the sheer charm and ease with which the actor shakes his leg to the tunes has got everyone talking.
Chapter 3: Dhurandhar Reviews By Film Critics And Social Media
A film remotely related to Pakistan will any day attract more attention and more so if the film is directed by someone who was the first filmmaker to make a film on the Uri aftermath.
And that's what followed. A section of the film critics and social media users loved the film, others called it propaganda. The propaganda bit only helped Dhurandhar reach even more far and wide.
#Dhurandhar is not an anti-Paki movie but a fierce pro-India one about a nation that has stopped being a prey & transforming into a predator its enemies fear-offers a visceral realism: we will not, like cowards, throw dossiers but hit them back hard@AdityaDharFilms @yamigautam pic.twitter.com/RShMIKdRO8
— sanjai (@v_sanjai) December 15, 2025
#Dhurandhar is what happens when a filmmaker does the homework and trusts the audience.
— Zeba Zoariah (@ZZoariah) December 14, 2025
Every frame feels researched, every beat intentional - no noise, no shortcuts.
The narration moves with facts, not fear.
And Ranveer Singh, that unwalled, unblinking conviction in his eyes… pic.twitter.com/W1WNANefhU
The film #Dhurandhar conveys a powerful message that the Baloch people possess a very rich culture and deep traditions. At the same time, it exposes how their rights in Pakistan are systematically violated by Pakistani intelligence agencies. The film also highlights that… pic.twitter.com/KSE8Vun1Hr
— Nasir Amany🇦🇫 (@Nasir_Amany) December 14, 2025
Dhurandhar is another BJP sponsored propaganda film for low IQ RW audience 🤡#Dhurandhar pic.twitter.com/ymxP6dRzx4
— Suraj G Naik (@yoursurajnaik) December 9, 2025
Propaganda aisa failao ki film mai acting karne waala hi militant bann jaye.#Dhurandhar pic.twitter.com/PAU0FPUEpb
— Maarwadi🚩🚩 (@Marwadi99) December 10, 2025
With the kind of Sangh propaganda Dhurandhar director Aditya stuffed into the film, he should just join the BJP already.
— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) December 8, 2025
Let's at least pretend there's some intellectual honesty.
Film critic Anupama Chopra received so much backlash for her film review that she even made the video private.
Chapter 4: Dhurandhar Celebrity Reviews On Social Media, Starring Hrithik Roshan
Several celebrities, including Ranveer Singh's actor-wife Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Allu Arjun, Vicky Kaushal, and Ayushmann Khurrana praised the film wholeheartedly.
But there was one review from within the actor's community that got everybody talking. Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan was all ga-ga about the "amazing" storytelling of Dhurandhar but he 'disagreed' with the movie's politics.
Within hours of his review, the actor shared a fresh post (with the previous one intact) which only had more praise for the film and its team.
Chapter 5: Dhurandhar Doesn't Release In the GCC Belt
Just a day before the film was completing a week in cinemas, reports started trickling in that Dhurandhar is not releasing in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman due to anti-Pakistan content.
Trade experts said while the film not getting released in the GCC belt will pinch the makers, they won't lose much revenue.
Chapter 6: Dhurandhar Crosses Rs 350 Crore Net In Just India
On its second Monday, Dhurandhar is the third highest grossing Bollywood film, behind Chhaava and Saiyaara.
If its rampage continues, the film may go on to become the highest grosser Hindi movie of 2025. It will have to cross the earnings by Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava (Rs 601.54 crore India nett) and Saiyaara (Rs 329.25 crore India nett), starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, to clinch the title.
With the part two of the film set for March release, the Dhurandhar success saga is far from over.
Also Read | How Akshaye Khanna Became Dhurandhar's Rehman Dakait, Reveals Makeup Artist
