Dhurandhar: The Revenge box office boom explained as Ranveer Singh's spy thriller inches towards Rs 10billion

Dubai: Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge has firmly gripped both the box office and public imagination, emerging as one of the most talked-about films right now in India and beyond. The film has not released in theatres in the UAE and GCC countries.

With global earnings rapidly approaching the Rs10 billion milestone, the polarising film has sparked widespread discussion, with viewers revisiting key scenes, applauding its layered storytelling, but dissing the pro-establishment tilts.

Fronted by Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, the action drama is steadily shaping up to be among the highest-grossing Hindi films ever. Even in its opening week, the film continues to draw strong footfall, signalling sustained audience interest.

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The industry has also rallied behind the film’s success, with Rajinikanth praising its scale, Ram Gopal Varma voicing repeated admiration, and icons like Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna commending Dhar’s vision, calling him an inspiring filmmaker.

The narrative follows Singh’s character, Hamza Ali Mazari, an Indian intelligence operative who infiltrates Pakistan’s underworld-terror nexus. As part of his mission, he carefully builds a new identity, eventually rising through the ranks to become the powerful “king of Lyari.”

The character navigates a dangerous web of alliances involving extremists, political figures, and crime syndicates in Karachi. The film also draws from real-world developments, weaving in references to events such as Narendra Modi’s 2014 victory speech, demonetisation and the Uri attack.

Audiences and critics alike have responded largely positively to the film’s gripping narrative, performances, and politically charged backdrop. Alongside Singh, the film features a strong ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Gaurav Gera, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor and Sara Arjun in pivotal roles.

In my review of the film watched in India, I felt Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge traded the quiet intrigue of its predecessor for a louder, more self-indulgent approach, turning what was once a restrained spy drama into a bloated origin story.

The film leans heavily on Ranveer Singh, placing him at the centre of nearly every moment, often at the cost of nuance. Explosions, expletives, and excess take over, making it feel overlong and overstretched. While it remains visually convincing and technically slick, the storytelling lacks the subtlety that made the first film work, leaving behind a spectacle that is engaging in parts but ultimately exhausting.