The sequel storm has arrived. Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge has hit theatres, pulling in packed houses and racing toward record-breaking numbers. Beneath the applause, however, lies a sharp split in audience reactions. Some have called it a high-octane spectacle and others feel it falls short of its predecessor.
Chiming into the discourse is political commentator and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who has, once again, taken aim at filmmaker Aditya Dhar. Rathee accused Dhar of pushing propaganda through cinema. Taking to X, Rathee wrote that what he once called “subtle” messaging has now become overt, adding that audiences would begin to see the filmmaker as a “BJP propagandist”.
“It was subtle in the previous film, but he went so blatant this time in overconfidence. Remember how I said, well-made propaganda is more dangerous? Ab toh well-made bhi nahi raha. Lol,” he wrote.
Rathee also disagreed with first Dhurandhar
This isn’t a new feud. When Dhurandhar first released, Rathee had posted a detailed critique arguing that “well-made propaganda is more dangerous”. He pointed to the film’s use of real-world references like the 26/11 attacks and audio recordings to heighten its impact.
The video triggered a wave of backlash, with Rathee later alleging coordinated dislike campaigns and comparing Dhar to filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.
Even the trailer of the sequel had drawn his ire, with Rathee accusing the film of glorifying extreme violence and desensitising younger audiences.
Dhurandhar 2 box office collection
Yet, controversy seems to be feeding the film’s momentum rather than slowing it down. The Ranveer Singh-starrer has already clocked a staggering ₹75.06 crore by Day 1 estimates, overtaking the opening benchmarks of blockbusters like Animal and Jawan.
The film’s box office surge hasn’t stopped there. Within two days, it crossed ₹183 crore, outpacing the early numbers of Kalki 2898 AD, which had earned ₹154.6 crore across languages in the same period. Notably, Dhurandhar 2 is yet to release in several southern markets, hinting at even bigger numbers ahead.
For now, Dhurandhar 2 stands at a curious crossroads, a film that is both a commercial juggernaut and a lightning rod for debate.