A few days ago, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma showered praise on Aditya Dhar's latest blockbuster, Dhurandhar, calling it a game-changer for Indian cinema. In another lengthy post earlier today, he once again applauded the film and mentioned how the industry is "threatened" by its success.
What's Happening
- Ram Gopal Varma started his post by stating that when a "monstrous" hit like Dhurandhar comes along, industry people wish to "ignore it".
- He elaborated, "Because they will feel threatened by it due to their inability to match its standards. So they will think of it as a nightmare, which will vanish when they wake up in their own films. This is even more true of all the so-called pan-India biggies, which are right now under various stages of production. They were all written and mounted, modelled on the films made before #Dhurandhar, which is the exact opposite of what they all believed would work. What's even more worrisome is that #Dhurandhar, apart from being an omega hit, also is the most discussed film since the last 50 years."
- He continued, "#Dhurandhar will be like that monstrous dog which will be invisibly pacing around in every production office wherever the upcoming biggies are being made. They will try their level best to even avoid uttering the dog's name, but it will keep loitering in all their minds."
- "To that extent #Dhurandhar will actually be like a HORROR film for all those makers who believed in the earlier template of VFX-ridden, expensive sets, item song-ridden and the hero-worship template," added the filmmaker.
Ram Gopal Varma's First Review Of Dhurandhar
Ram Gopal Varma wrote, "DHURANDHAR is not a film, it is a QUANTUM LEAP in INDIAN CINEMA."
He continued, "I believe that @AdityaDharFilms has completely and single-handedly changed the future of Indian cinema, be it north or south. That's because Dhurandhar is not just a film...it is a quantum leap."
Varma praised the film's vision and execution, saying, "What Dhurandhar achieves is not just scale, but a never-before-experienced vision not just in sight but in the mind. Aditya Dhar doesn't direct scenes here... he engineers the states of mind of both the characters and the audience."
He added, "The film doesn't ask for your attention... it commands it. From the very first shot, there's a sense that something irreversible has been set in motion, and the audience is no longer a spectator but an accomplice to the happenings on screen."
Have a look at how he praised the cast:
Aditya Dhar's Emotional Response
Aditya Dhar, a longtime Ram Gopal Varma fan, responded with an equally heartfelt note. He started his response with, "Sir... If this tweet were a film, I would have gone to watch it first day first show, stood in the last row, and come out changed."
He shared his journey and admiration for Varma, adding, "I came to Mumbai years ago carrying one suitcase, one dream, and an unreasonable belief that I would one day work under Ram Gopal Varma. That never happened. But somewhere along the way, without knowing it, I worked inside your cinema. Your films didn't teach me how to make movies-they taught me how to think dangerously."
He added, "You were one of my favourite directors who made Indian cinema feel fearless, impolite, and alive. If Dhurandhar has even a fraction of that DNA, it's because your films whispered (sometimes screamed) in my head while I was writing and directing it."
Dhar concluded with gratitude, "If I've assumed the audience is intelligent, it's because you taught an entire generation that cinema should never apologise for its ambition. Thank you for this generosity, this madness, and this validation. The fan in me is overwhelmed. The filmmaker in me feels challenged. And the boy who came to Mumbai to work under RGV... finally feels seen."
About Dhurandhar
Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar entered the Rs 600 crore club in India within 20 days of its release.
"A phenomenon at full force! #Dhurandhar Making Merry Worldwide," read the post shared by the film's production banner, Jio Studios, on Instagram on Thursday.
According to Jio Studios, Aditya Dhar's directorial Dhurandhar collected Rs 20.90 crore on the 20th day of its release, bringing its net total at the domestic box office to Rs 640.20 crore.
Besides Ranveer Singh, Dhurandhar features Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi in important roles. The film's sequel is set to hit theatres on March 19, 2026.