Veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again spoken in support of director Aditya Dhar and his much-talked-about film Dhurandhar. Since Dhurandhar part one was released in December 2025, Varma has repeatedly praised it and called it a major moment for Indian cinema. According to him, the film has changed the way stories are being told in mainstream movies. Varma believes the impact of the film is so strong that many filmmakers are now feeling the pressure to rethink their own projects.
The much-awaited trailer of Dhurandhar: The Revenge is out and fans just can’t keep calm. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is now firmly eyeing a historic Rs 35 crore premiere haul in India alone on March 18, a figure that would shatter every paid preview record in Indian cinema history. As of March 13, the film has already grossed Rs 21.50 crore in India for its premiere shows, with full-scale regular show bookings for March 19 yet to open domestically.
‘Our movies will never be the same again’
Ram Gopal Varma took to Rediff where he posted that Aditya Dhar’s work has had a big impact on the film industry. “You have to understand what Aditya Dhar has done to the movie business,” he said. “He has changed the entire grammar of storytelling on screen. Our movies will never be the same again. And I am talking about all languages, not only Hindi.”
Varma also claimed that the influence of the film is already being felt in other industries. According to him, several big-budget action films in the Telugu industry are now going through reshoots.
“In Telugu, many of the upcoming big-budget action films are undergoing massive reshoots,” he said. “That means huge budget problems. So of course, many people are not happy. He has forced them to come out of their comfort zones, and that costs a lot of money.”
The filmmaker also spoke about the attention around Dhar’s personal life, especially the spotlight on his wife, actor Yami Gautam, who was last seen in the courtroom drama Haq.
Varma said the couple should move ahead carefully because success often brings more criticism.
“Aditya Dhar and Yami Gautam will have to move forward with extra caution,” he said. “The film industry is waiting for them to fumble and fall.”
‘Ram Gopal Varma made Indian cinema fearless’: Aditya Dhar
When Dhurandhar released last year and started getting attention, Ram Gopal Varma had called it a “quantum leap in Indian cinema.” He even said that Dhar had changed the future of Indian filmmaking.
Aditya Dhar later responded to the praise and said Varma has always been one of his favourite directors. Taking to X, Dhar said Varma’s films had a big influence on him.
“He is one of my favourite directors who made Indian cinema feel fearless, impolite and alive,” Dhar wrote. “If Dhurandhar has even a small part of that spirit, it is because your films were always in my mind while I was writing and directing it.”
Dhurandhar: The Revenge
Meanwhile, excitement is growing for the sequel, Dhurandhar 2, which is set to release in less than a week. Recently, Yami Gautam revealed that she has already watched the film. Speaking to News18, she said the experience left her very emotional.
“I have already watched the film, and all I can say is that it is beyond extraordinary,” she said. She further added that she needed time to process her feelings after watching the film. “I had a flight that day. After watching the film, I was very emotional. There was so much I wanted to say, but I couldn’t. I just said ‘bye’ to him,” she shared.
With the release date getting closer, the excitement around Dhurandhar 2 continues to grow among fans.