Dhurandhar producer compares Aditya Dhar directorial’s impact to Sholay: “There is no greater accolade” : Bollywood News

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar continues to dominate conversations in the film industry months after its theatrical release. The Ranveer Singh-led spy action thriller recently made history by becoming the highest grossing Bollywood film ever by amassing close to Rs. 900 crores domestically.

Dhurandhar producer compares Aditya Dhar directorial’s impact to Sholay: “There is no greater accolade”

Dhurandhar producer compares Aditya Dhar directorial’s impact to Sholay: “There is no greater accolade”As anticipation builds around the sequel, producer Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios has confirmed that Dhurandhar 2 will be mounted on an even larger scale. Speaking to Fortune India, Deshpande, president (media and content business) at Reliance Industries, described the film’s success as a rare audience-driven phenomenon and compared its cultural impact to that of Sholay.

“This is not just a maker’s success; it is as much the audience’s success. It has been decades since we saw a film that has taken up the imagination of the movie-going public,” Deshpande said. She pointed out that audiences watched the film multiple times and kept it running in theatres for over 60 days. “After Sholay, I can’t think of a film which has been as successful. There is no greater accolade as film-makers we can receive than this,” she added.

Talking about the sequel, Deshpande revealed that plans for a follow-up were always tied to the first film’s performance. “Had the first part not fired, the second one would have sat in our cupboard. However, we were sure the first part would fire,” she said, adding that the team is now confident that Dhurandhar 2 will surpass the original.

The sequel will be released in five languages, a significant expansion from the first film, which was released only in Hindi. Highlighting its reach, Deshpande noted that Dhurandhar outperformed several major South Indian films despite being a single-language release. “The contribution from the southern states, even for the Hindi original, is three times that of another successful Hindi film. It is the most-watched film in Pakistan too,” she said.

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and R Madhavan. The film follows an Indian intelligence officer who infiltrates Pakistan’s Lyari region to dismantle a terror network targeting India. It is produced by Jyoti Deshpande under Jio Studios, along with Aditya and Lokesh Dhar’s B62 Studios.

Dhurandhar 2 will delve into the backstory of Ranveer Singh’s spy, while also featuring a major face-off between Ranveer and Arjun Rampal. The sequel is scheduled to hit theatres on March 19, where it will clash with Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups.

Also Read: Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 releases on JioHotstar: How a well-made comic caper got crushed in cinemas due to multiplex snub, bad release timing, Dhurandhar wave; novel re-release plan derailed at the last minute