Why Indian fans fly from Dubai to India for Dhurandhar: R. Madhavan highlights the power of good movies
Power of good content is what blockbuster success of his spy thriller displayed, says star
Dubai: Dhurandhar skipped UAE cinemas and landed directly on Netflix, but UAE-based actor R. Madhavan believes a film’s true success lies in the lengths fans go to see it on the big screen.
In a recent conversation on Sonia Shenoy’s YouTube channel, Madhavan revealed that when the film's theatrical release was withheld in the Gulf region, Bollywood movie-mad fans from places like Dubai didn’t sit back and wait.
“If you look at Dhurandhar, people from Dubai actually flew down, for one day, to watch the film and then flew back,” he said.
“That is the power of good content.”
R Madhavan, who played top Indian spy master in the blockbuster, added what made Dhurandhar resonate so strongly wasn’t just its action sequences or its political backdrop, but its fresh take on the genre, one that sidesteps the familiar India–Pakistan narrative.
“Traditionally, we’ve been making movies around the India–Pakistan war or our freedom struggle. That has been our action space and our core go-to in terms of storytelling,” he said. “But the younger generation doesn’t even want that anymore. They’re like, samajh gaya main, kitni baar bologe? — ‘I’ve understood it, how many times will you say it?’ Dhurandhar gave a different perspective."
The theatre experience still matters
For fans who could have watched the film online or via IPTV, Madhavan says there was something irreplaceable about the communal experience of a packed theatre.
“Now they’re planning their business meetings around March 19 when Dhurandhar 2 is releasing,” he said, referring to the sequel’s scheduled release date.
“They’ll go there for meetings, watch the film, and then return, as it’s banned in the UAE.”
“For them, it would be so easy to just watch it on IPTV, okay? And I’m sure they could. But they want to experience watching a film like Dhurandhar in a theatre full of people. That gives you a community experience. Cinema allows that. Watching the same film alone at home feels completely different. It’s like performing dandiya in front of the TV. Dandiya is something you go out and play on the ground, with people around you.”
Anticipation for Dhurandhar 2
With Dhurandhar earning over Rs 13 billion worldwide not releasing in key territories, the appetite for the sequel is already high.
“If people are willing to book a flight just to watch a film when it’s not even playing in their region,” he said, “you know something has struck a chord.”
Dhurandhar 2 is gearing up for its March 19 release and will see a box-office clash with Toxic starring Yash over the Eid weekend, the buzz isn’t just about numbers.
