Dhurandhar filmmaker Aditya Dhar 'never got his due,' Priyadarshan says other directors stole his research

Even amidst the chaos of shooting Bhooth Bangla and Haiwaan, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan made time to catch Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, a period spy thriller starring Ranveer Singh. He said that he loved it, calling Dhar one of his 'best' assistants and students.

The bond between the two goes back years. Dhar first crossed paths with Priyadarshan while working on the script of 2010’s Aakrosh, starring Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna. Introduced by screenwriter Robin Bhatt, Dhar became Priyadarshan’s assistant director and even joined him at the script table.

He later assisted on Tezz (2012), which starred Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, and Anil Kapoor. During the shoot in Scotland, Dhar confided in Priyadarshan about his past: “He was a budding cricketer in the under-19 team, but he didn’t get in because the son of a top Indian cricketer beat him to it. (Seeing his) depressed state, his friends took him to watch my film Gardish. That day he decided to quit cricket and become a filmmaker," Priyadarshan told Mid-Day.

Dhar’s early work hinted at the talent to come. Before collaborating with Priyadarshan, he had already penned the National Award-winning short film Boond (2009) and contributed lyrics for films including Kabul Express (2006), Haal-E-Dil (2008), Daddy Cool (2009), and Phhir (2011).

Priyadarshan reflects on Dhar’s journey with pride and admiration: “Dhar never got his due credit because the directors took his research, hard work, and talent, but kept him aside. I am very proud of him; he has made it so big.” Their bond endures, with Priyadarshan recalling how Dhar even showed up on the Bhooth Bangla set just to share the trailer of Dhurandhar. “That’s the kind of relationship I share with him—a guru and shishya,” he says.

The gamble has paid off. Dhurandhar, co-produced by Aditya and Lokesh Dhar’s B62 Studios, has grossed over Rs850 crore domestically, setting a record as the highest-grossing Hindi film in India. With a sequel slated for March 19, 2026, the duo is already gearing up to conquer cinemas again.