The Hindi film industry’s biggest blockbusters, Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead, witnessed a historic run at the box office. Helmed by Aditya Dhar, both films opened major conversations about how their success can transform the filmmaking style in Hindi cinema. One major question that arises is whether Dhurandhar’s dominance at the box office is a boon that is saving Bollywood or a bane that is silencing competition.
In my opinion, tentpole films like Dhurandhar are a matter of pride for the industry. These movies attract huge footfalls, which eventually drive the business. Big grossers are always welcome, but you can’t have such releases every week. Therefore, the industry needs small and mid-budget films to work consistently. This used to happen quite well in the pre-pandemic era, but everything has changed this decade.
Dhurandhar isn’t directly a bane that silences competition. It’s more about the industry not getting the scheduling of films right. Yash made a smart decision by avoiding a clash of Toxic with Dhurandhar: The Revenge, but it should have been released on Good Friday (April 3, 2026), giving two weeks of an open run to the Ranveer Singh film. After that, Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar, should have arrived on its scheduled date of April 10, 2026. This would have kept the box office ticking, unlike now, when the collections of Dhurandhar: The Revenge on the third and fourth weekdays are in single digits.
So, the film industry needs to get smarter about scheduling releases. Two weeks for a big film like Dhurandhar: The Revenge are more than enough, as these films are usually front-loaded. Other films should be released after that window. If a film has merit, it will work; otherwise, it won’t matter whether it releases two weeks or even five weeks later.
Dhurandhar 2 is definitely a boon as far as business is concerned. However, it doesn’t mean that no other star-led Bollywood film has worked in the past. If you look at the record of the last five years, there have been multiple big grossers like Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, Stree 2, Animal, Chhaava, Saiyaara, and several others. But yes, the industry needs at least three to five tentpole films like Dhurandhar every year for better business health. I hope Dhurandhar’s success brings positive change to the film industry and that filmmakers start giving more importance to substance than to star power, even in commercial entertainers.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Pinkvilla. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual or entity.
