“There are two sharply demarcated halves of Indian cinema — those before Dhurandhar and those after Dhurandhar. It’s like BC and AD,” says Ram Gopal Varma (RGV).

According to RGV, the digitally driven Telugu fantasies like Kingdom and RajaSaab have already scrapped their announced sequels, reflecting the panic in the industry. Even the most anticipated films for the year, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War and Shah Rukh Khan’s King, feature no special effects, highlighting a shift in audience preference.

Ramu explains the paradigm shift: “A lot of different films can do well, but it’s doubtful that the special-effects-driven action films Telugu cinema has been producing over the past few years will find the same audience now.” He draws attention to how Dhurandhar transforms the standard vendetta formula with raw, gritty realism. “Ranveer Singh has no traditional entry scene; in fact, he’s almost assaulted by a mob. The film is technically a template — hero, heroine, villain, lofty cause — but the treatment is the exact opposite of what we’ve been fed all these years. Here, the hero is vulnerable. All action films before were about hero elevation, mostly vendetta.”

Ramu points out how Telugu pan-Indian blockbusters like Kalki 2898, Baahubali, RRR, and HanuMan perfected the art of FX spectacles, creating benchmarks over the last five to six years. “Now comes Dhurandhar — the hero doesn’t have the slow-motion elevation shots, the background score doesn’t pander to him, and he stays in the background for much of the story. The narrative isn’t manipulated to serve the hero’s whims.”

He continues, “The success of Dhurandhar indicates a sea-change in audience tastes. Hollywood has been doing this for a long time. Take Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies — when he’s hurt, he shows genuine pain. Our recent years were dominated by heroes performing gravity-defying stunts, almost superhuman. In Dhurandhar, Ranveer gets battered in the opening sequence. This vulnerable, human hero is now being widely accepted.”

According to RGV, this shift has made Telugu FX blockbusters look dated overnight. “Take Pushpa 2 — the biting fight sequence, flying around and attacking everyone — it’s enjoyable, no doubt. But after Dhurandhar, such fantasy spectacles might lose impact. In just a year or two, people’s tastes have changed completely. This is a quantum leap in cinema.”

Ramu adds, “Dhurandhar shows gritty, realistic action — every character is vulnerable, you see pain and injuries. It’s not fantasy; it’s real. That’s why digitally driven action films will face trouble.”

Looking ahead, RGV says the real test will come on March 19, when Dhurandhar 2 clashes with Yash–Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic. “They are on opposite sides. Many love the Toxic teaser, but I feel part of it is because they secretly resent Dhurandhar’s success. I want to see both films back-to-back to feel the difference.”