Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge, a spy-action thriller directed by Aditya Dhar has emerged as one of the biggest box‑office hits of the year, shattering records and drawing massive audiences across India and abroad.
Released on March 19, 2026, the movie Dhurandhar 2 has already raked in tremendous revenue, surpassing the Rs 370 crore mark worldwide and setting multiple records for its opening run. However, while the film’s commercial success has been celebrated in many quarters, its reception within Bollywood’s film fraternity has been notably muted, a contrast that is generating discussion amongst the fans.
Bollywood’s Tepid Response
Dhurandhar: The Revenge has received comparatively little public recognition from Bollywood actors and actresses despite its record‑breaking performance. Traditionally, the Hindi film fraternity is quick to celebrate major hits with endorsements, social media posts, and appearances at promotional events.
However, in the case of Dhurandhar, the response has been unusually restrained. While the film has already minted over Rs 370 crore worldwide, very few marquee Bollywood stars have publicly praised it, highlighting a stark contrast with the enthusiastic support coming from the Telugu and broader South Indian film industries.
A few isolated endorsements have surfaced, though they remain scarce. Among them, veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan praised director Aditya Dhar for bringing a “revolution in storytelling,” urging the industry to view the film’s success as a progressive shift rather than a challenge to established norms.
The lack of wider endorsements could reflect Bollywood’s competitive dynamics. Many stars are cautious about publicly praising films that could be seen as rivals to their own projects, while some believe that mainstream Hindi cinema tends to underplay the success of films that achieve pan-India appeal through action, scale, and universal storytelling, rather than star-driven Bollywood formulas.
Critics have also pointed out that this silence may inadvertently highlight shifting centers of influence in Indian cinema. With South Indian films increasingly achieving pan-India box-office success and garnering praise across language barriers, Bollywood’s traditional dominance in defining cinematic “blockbusters” is being challenged. The muted reaction from Bollywood contrasts sharply with the active endorsements from Tollywood and other South Indian stars, underscoring a growing cross-industry divide in recognition and promotion.
Even with these observations, it is clear that Dhurandhar: The Revenge has resonated strongly with audiences nationwide, proving that audience reception often transcends industry accolades, and signaling a possible shift in how pan-India successes are celebrated across the cinematic landscape.
South Cinema Celebrates Dhurandhar’s Blockbuster Success
In stark contrast to the quiet response from much of the Hindi film community, stars from the Telugu film industry and wider South Indian cinema have publicly praised Dhurandhar: The Revenge and acknowledged its impact.
South superstars from Allu Arjun to Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Mahesh Babu to Vijay Deverakonda have sung praise of the film and the stellar performances by the film’s cast.
Praising the film, Mahesh Babu tweeted, “#DhurandharTheRevenge is an explosion executed with perfect precision!!!! The finest version of Ranveer unleashed and how… The way Aditya Dhar has conceived and delivered this standing ovation-worthy experience is remarkable. Special mention to Maddy’s performance and Shashwat Sachdev’s music.. This is a film meant to be experienced and celebrated…. Congratulations to the entire team…..”
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Jr NTR too penned a long note. “A big salute to the team of #DhurandharTheRevenge for delivering a storm to Indian audiences. Ranveer sir @RanveerOfficial is not just breathtaking…. He delivered an absolute masterclass on screen. It takes conviction and fearless vision to mount a film like this and Aditya Dhar sir @AdityaDharFilms brings that strength to every frame. Using every tool at his disposal to elevate each scene to its absolute best deserves a standing ovation. This is a film that rouses your emotions and stays with you long after the end titles roll,” he said.
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“@ActorMadhavan sir is as effortless as ever and it was fire to watch him dominate every frame he is in. @duttsanjay sir and @rampalarjun sir delivered solid layered performances throughout. Shashwat Sachdev’s music hits on another level elevating every sequence and adding to the film’s adrenaline. Big big congratulations to the entire team. This one will go a long way…” And not to forget, Akshaye Khanna sir, the man who laid the strong foundation for this franchise with his performance… His calm menace, depth and sheer screen presence are unreal in Part 1… what an actor!” he added.
Vijay tweeted, “Tomorrow onwards – something big is going to happen in Indian cinema and culture. 4 words. ‘Bharat Maata ki JAI!’ Immense love and respect to the entire cast and crew. @AdityaDharFilms is a mad genius. @RanveerOfficial is all in explosive. @ActorMadhavan @rampalarjun Sara and Jameel uncle were all superbbb. @shashwatology score was fire.”
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Allu Arjun said on X, “Just watched #Dhurandhar2. Patriotism with swag. A film that will make every patriot proud. Many clap-trapping moments. BLAST! Congratulations to the entire team. Fine performances by @ActorMadhavan garu & all actors. Technical brilliance. So proud to have a brilliant and a versatile actor like my brother @RanveerOfficial in our country. RVS on fire. @AdityaDharFilms garu hit the ball out of the park. So happy to have brilliant filmmakers like him in our country. Show Rocker. An Indian story… International swag! Jai Hind.”
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Ram Charan also hailed the film as “raw, gripping and impactful,” noting its compelling narrative and cinematic scale. In a heartfelt social media post, the ‘Peddi’ actor lauded director Aditya Dhar for seamlessly blending massive scale with deep-rooted emotion.
Criticism on Bollywood Response
Critics and audiences alike point to a fascinating cultural dynamic, that a Hindi‑language film, made within Bollywood’s mainstream framework, has received perhaps more sustained championing from artists associated with another regional cinema, Tollywood than from its own traditional home industry.
The muted response from Bollywood has sparked widespread discussion and criticism on social media. Many fans took to platforms like X and Reddit to express their disappointment over the lack of endorsements from Hindi film stars.
One user tweeted, “Dhurandhar 2 has been praised so far by Allu Arjun, Vijay Deverakonda, Jr NTR, and Mahesh Babu. Any Bollywood star tweeted kya??” Another Reddit user commented, “Feel sad for you, Ranveer Singh, your success isn’t being celebrated by your own people.”
Several posts highlighted the contrast between the enthusiastic support from South Indian actors and the silence of Bollywood peers. “Every big actor of South India has praised Dhurandhar 2. I was told it’s a Bollywood film, but celebs, not even close friends of Ranveer Singh—have tweeted in praise for the movie. Enough to tell you how corrupt Bollywood is. Sad that I grew up watching people who can’t even praise a movie that shows the dark side of Pakistan,” one user wrote.
Another pointed out, “Allu Arjun, Vijay Deverakonda, Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan and many other South Indian actors posted on Dhurandhar 2 but not his wife Deepika Padukone or any of his friends from Bollywood praised the movie.”
The backlash underscores the growing sentiment among audiences that Bollywood’s silence stands in stark contrast to the pan-India recognition the film has received, further fueling debates about industry rivalries and allegiance.
Release in Five Languages
The spy action thriller released in five languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Written by Aditya Dhar and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar, the film released in theatres worldwide on March 19.
The film star Ranveer Singh, appearing in dual personas as Jaskirat and Hamza. R Madhavan returns as strategist Ajay Sanyal, with Arjun Rampal as ISI Major Iqbal and Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam.
The film also features Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor and Gaurav Gera, among others.Dhurandhar was set in Lyari, Karachi, an area known for its history of gang wars and violent turf battles.
It revolved around covert intelligence operations in the background of geopolitical and terror events like the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament Attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
