‘Dhurandhar’ crosses ₹130 crore in four days as box office momentum builds and debate heats up

Ranveer Singh’s spy action thriller Dhurandhar is off to a surging start at the Indian box office, collecting ₹130.80 crore net in its first four days of release. After a robust opening weekend estimated at ₹106.50 crore, the film added roughly ₹24.30 crore on Monday, signaling stronger-than-usual weekday hold for a nearly three-and-a-half-hour blockbuster. Early word of mouth on scale, performances, and staging of Karachi underworld set pieces appears to be driving repeat footfall despite the lengthy runtime.

Dhurandhar: what’s clicking with audiences

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar positions Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari, an Indian operative embedded in Pakistan’s gangland and political nexus. The film leans into muscular set pieces, lavish production design, and a chaptered narrative that moves from covert operations to full-bore gang warfare. A starry ensemble—Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun—adds marquee heft, while Shashwat Sachdev’s soundtrack and a propulsive title track have quickly become viral fuel on short-video platforms and wedding reels.

The opening suggests multiplex metros and premium single screens are carrying the load, with higher ticket prices in PLF formats lifting net box office. Weekend occupancies were strongest for evening shows; Monday’s hold indicates that curiosity is converting into broader weekday attendance.

Talking points: praise, pushback, and a few viral moments

Even as the numbers build, conversation around Dhurandhar has sharpened on social media:

• Tone and politics under scrutiny: Commentaries dissect the film’s ideological framing and depiction of cross-border dynamics. Some viewers laud its unapologetic swagger; others challenge what they view as a hard-edged, polarizing lens.

• A review flap: A high-profile video review briefly surfaced and was later withdrawn, drawing attention to how criticism of major tentpoles circulates—and sometimes vanishes—in the attention economy.

• Viral dance clips: The title track has leapt beyond cinema halls, with cross-border wedding performances and fan choreographies amplifying the film’s cultural footprint.

The mixed-to-energized chatter hasn’t dented turnout so far; if anything, the discourse seems to be increasing awareness, a pattern familiar to recent tentpole launches.

Box office outlook: weekday test, holiday runway

With the first Monday at ₹24–25 crore, the film enters its key trajectory test: Tuesday–Thursday drops. Two scenarios emerge:

• Bull case: If midweek declines stay ≤50% from Monday and premium formats remain tight, Dhurandhar could clear a ₹175–₹185 crore first week domestically.

• Base case: Sharper weekday erosion would still land a ₹160–₹170 crore week, keeping it on track for a hefty lifetime, especially if second-week competition is limited.

Family audiences and smaller centers tend to arrive later for lengthy action dramas; sustained shows there could elongate legs. Overseas tallies will also be watched closely, as diaspora markets often support large-canvas espionage titles.

Craft and performances: where the film lands

• Ranveer Singh plays it contained and coiled, channeling menace more than flamboyance; supporters call it a disciplined star turn calibrated to the film’s brutalist register.

• Akshaye Khanna and R. Madhavan offer contrasting gravitas on the power chessboard, while Sanjay Dutt brings lived-in authority to the law-and-order track.

• Action & world-building: The Karachi Lyari milieu—recreated across multiple locations—gives the film a tactile sprawl. Set pieces are mounted with maximalist ambition, underscored by thick sound design and practical explosions.

• Runtime: At ~214 minutes, pacing becomes the chief friction point; the chapter structure mitigates fatigue for some viewers and magnifies it for others.

Sequel signals and what’s next

Industry chatter already points to Dhurandhar 2 moving through post-production pipelines for a swift follow-up, a strategy enabled by back-to-back principal photography and a shared asset base. A fresh date skirmish on the calendar has been teased, hinting at a marquee clash in the first half of 2026. As always, scheduling is subject to change based on staying power in weeks two and three.

Key numbers at a glance

• India NBOC (Day 4): ₹130.80 crore

• Opening weekend: ₹106.50 crore

• Monday (Day 4): ₹24.30 crore

• Runtime: ~214 minutes

• Cast highlights: Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun

• Music: Shashwat Sachdev

Dhurandhar is behaving like a classic year-end event picture—front-loaded yet resilient, polarizing yet widely discussed. If the weekday trend holds, the film is positioned for a commanding first week and a noisy second-weekend face-off with new arrivals. For now, the headline is simple: the box office is roaring, and the conversation isn’t slowing down.