‘They will feel threatened by it’: Ram Gopal Varma on Dhurandhar; slams critics

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has taken a swipe at critics and industry insiders over their reaction to Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, calling it a “path-breaking and monstrous hit” that has unsettled Bollywood filmmakers.

Varma took to X to express his views, saying, “Whenever a path-breaking and monstrous hit like #dhurandhar comes, the industry people will wish to ignore it because they will feel threatened by it due to their inability to match it’s standards ..So they will think of it as a nightmare, which will vanish when they wake up in their own films.”

He added that many ongoing pan-India projects were designed based on pre-Dhurandhar templates and are now at risk of being overshadowed. “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 wrote.

Varma compared the film’s impact to a persistent and unavoidable presence, saying, “#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.”

He further criticised filmmakers sticking to the old hero-centric and masala templates, stating, “To that extent #dhurandhar, with the film being worshipped instead of the star, 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.”

Varma concluded by highlighting the influence of Dhar’s film on the industry: “More than anything else @AdityaDharFilms is forcing the industry people to look at their own films in the mirror, in comparison to the beautiful looking #dhurandhar.”

Released on December 5, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan.

The first instalment tracks a decade-long Indian intelligence operation, where an undercover agent infiltrates Karachi's criminal and political underworld. The sequel is set to pick up right where the cliffhanger left off, continuing the high-stakes drama.

The film has received praise from Bollywood celebrities for its story, action, and message. Filmmakers such as Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Ram Gopal Varma, Karan Johar, and Siddharth Anand have all voiced their admiration for Dhurandhar.