Kunal Kohli Says Nobody in the Industry Supported ‘Dhurandhar’, Reveals Top Directors Predicted Ranveer Singh’s Film Would Flop

Filmmaker Kunal Kohli has levelled sharp criticism against the Hindi film industry, alleging a widespread lack of support for the high-octane spy thriller Dhurandhar: The Revenge, aka Dhurandhar 2. Despite the film's record-breaking performance at the box office, Kohli revealed that many of the industry’s "biggest directors" were sceptical of its potential, openly predicting its failure shortly after its release. ‘Dhurandhar 2’ Box Office Collection Day 25: Ranveer Singh Starrer Becomes First Hindi Movie To Cross INR 1,700 Crore Mark Worldwide.

Nobody in the Film Industry Supported ‘Dhurandhar’, Says Kunal Kohli

In a candid interview with SCREEN, the Hum Tum director shared that the internal sentiment toward the Aditya Dhar-directed sequel was far from celebratory. Kohli claimed that several top-tier filmmakers expected the Ranveer Singh-starrer to crash after its initial opening weekend."Even when the industry doesn’t support a film, the film still works," Kohli stated. "Nobody supported Dhurandhar. The biggest directors I spoke to on the phone, they said, 'Monday ko baith jayegi' (It will crash on Monday). Instead, Monday ko aur chal gayi (It performed even better on Monday)."

The director emphasised that this "gatekeeping" or lack of internal backing, is a recurring theme in Bollywood. He pointed to the massive success as a rebuttal to those who doubted the film's longevity. "People said the second week mein thoda baith gayi. It’s done INR 300 crore plus! What are you saying? That’s a blockbuster. End of discussion," Kohli added.

 ‘Dhurandhar 2’ Box Office Success

While industry insiders may have been doubtful, the audience's response tells a different story. Dhurandhar 2 has become a certified global phenomenon, crossing the INR 1,700 crore mark worldwide. In India alone, the film has netted over INR 1,080 crore, making it one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.

Kohli praised the film for its "genuine" collections, contrasting it with the industry practice of inflating box office figures to create artificial hype. He credited the film's success to its "desi" roots and strong, traditional portrayal of its lead characters."Look at the numbers. Genuine collection. This is doing ₹100 crores a day with genuine collections," he remarked, adding: "It has shown us that desi subjects and desi stories work like nothing else. Let’s not be influenced by Western subjects and Western ideas; let’s make desi films."

Roots of the Scepticism

The filmmaker suggested that the negativity surrounding the film might stem from a culture where contemporaries often root for each other's failure. Reflecting on his own career, Kohli recalled how producer Aditya Chopra once warned him about the industry's cynicism before he directed Fanaa."Ninety-nine percent of the people in the industry don’t want you to succeed," Kohli noted, suggesting that the success of Dhurandhar 2 is a testament to the power of the audience over the opinions of industry peers.

He further noted the shift in character archetypes, stating, "Heroes ko mard hona chahiye. Hindi films ke heroes ko mard hona chahiye" (Heroes should be masculine. Hindi film heroes must be masculine). ‘Dhurandhar 2’ OTT Release Date: Ranveer Singh’s INR 1,600 Crore Blockbuster To Stream on JioHotstar After IPL 2026.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar: The Revenge features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt. Despite the cold shoulder from some quarters of the industry, the film continues its dominant run in theatres, proving that word-of-mouth and "authentic" storytelling remain the ultimate deciders of success.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 14, 2026 02:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).