The monumental box office success of the Dhurandhar franchise has been attributed to Director Aditya Dhar's creative vision, rather than lead star Ranveer Singh's appeal.
Key Points
- 'The popularity of streaming services has put us all on our toes.'
- 'If we understand that stars are not bringing in box office numbers, we must focus on writers and look for newer, fresher ideas.'
- 'We are combating gaming, streaming, sports, and shrinking attention spans due to reels and Instagram.'
- 'Stars do not reduce their fees if their last film underperforms because someone is always willing to pay.'
'Dhurandhar is not a Ranveer Singh film in any way. It is very much a director's film. Even today, when the film is being referred to, it's being called Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar,' says Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of Ormax Media, in an interview with The Financial Times.
The Dhurandhar franchise has emerged as a major box office success. Dhurandhar The Revenge has grossed approximately Rs 1,435 crore (Rs 14.35 billion) worldwide, while the first instalment, which released last December, collected around Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 13 billion) globally, placing the series among the highest-grossing Indian film franchises.
Following the films' back-to-back success, the Financial Times report highlighted how Dhar, a relatively new entrant to Bollywood, has helped revive audience confidence through fast-paced storytelling.
Challenges Facing the Hindi Film Industry
Kareena Kapoor was also quoted in The Financial Times report, saying, 'Hopefully, now, post the Dhurandhar era, we are hoping that content is also going to be mixed with a lot of brave songs, brave great characters that Aditya has shown on screen.
'There's this excitement because there is no other cinema in the world, I believe, can make you stand up and dance in a cinema hall...Where in the world do you get to see that?'
Karan Johar gives his view in same report: 'We are combating gaming, streaming, sports, and shrinking attention spans due to reels and Instagram.'
Market Dynamics and Stagnant Footfall
Citing data from Ernst & Young, the Financial Times report noted that video subscription revenues rose 61 percent in 2025 to Rs 148 billion ($1.56 billion). Meanwhile, Shailesh Kapoor said that the high fees commanded by top actors are driven by market demand.
'Stars do not reduce their fees if their last film underperforms because someone is always willing to pay,' Kapoor said.
'Producers always have the option to walk away from projects they do not find viable.'
The report further stated that Indian films generated $1.45 billion in ticket sales in 2025, up from $1.32 billion in 2024. It also highlighted that the total cinema footfall in India has remained stagnant at around 150-160 million tickets annually for nearly a decade.
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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