Aditya Dhar, who made a powerful directorial debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike in 2019, has once again made a strong impact with his second film, Dhurandhar. Released in theatres on Friday, December 5, the film opened with moderate expectations but has since emerged as a major box-office success.
What stands out in Dhurandhar’s theatrical run is its exceptional weekday performance, which has surpassed its opening weekend collections—an indicator of strong word-of-mouth and sustained audience interest. The film completed eight days at the box office with its second Friday marking the highest single-day ticket sales so far. On BookMyShow alone, Dhurandhar sold close to 8.4 lakh tickets on Day 8, setting a new all-time record. This feat surpassed the previous highs set by Pushpa 2: The Rule (7.8 lakh tickets), Chhaava (7.1 lakh), and Kantara Chapter 1 (6.1 lakh).
Notably, this impressive performance has been achieved with the film releasing only in Hindi. Traditionally, when a Hindi film generates massive buzz, Telugu audiences are among the first to express interest in a dubbed version. While a section of viewers in Hyderabad and other cities is currently opting for subtitled screenings, demand for a Telugu version remains strong.
With Dhurandhar completing a successful first week and no major releases scheduled around December 19, the period presents a strategic opportunity for the makers to release dubbed versions in South Indian languages, particularly Telugu and Tamil. A similar approach earlier this year worked well for Chhaava, which was dubbed into Telugu after its initial release and went on to post respectable numbers.
Produced by Jio Studios, Dhurandhar is reportedly already drawing interest from Telugu cinema circles for a regional release. However, the timing of the dubbed version’s theatrical rollout will be crucial in capitalising on the film’s ongoing momentum.
Radhika Apte’s Comments on Film Violence Spark Fresh Controversy
Bollywood actress Radhika Apte, who also gained recognition in Tollywood through a brief stint, has once again found herself at the centre of controversy following her recent remarks during promotional interviews for her latest OTT release Saali Mohabbat.
During a media interaction, Radhika voiced concern over the growing portrayal of violence as mainstream entertainment in films. She stated that the increasing normalisation of such content is disturbing and added that she would find it difficult to raise a child in today’s environment given these trends in cinema. Although she refrained from naming any specific film, many moviegoers speculated that her comments were an indirect reference to Ranveer Singh’s recently released film Dhurandhar.
What surprised sections of the audience was the sharp contrast between Radhika’s current stance and her earlier career choices. At the peak of her career, the actress had frequently taken on bold roles, including characters involving explicit scenes, intense violence, and adult themes, often justifying them as story-driven requirements. She also featured in several action-oriented projects where violence played a significant narrative role.
With her recent remarks, critics and netizens have questioned the timing and intent behind her statements, pointing out that similar concerns about societal impact and child upbringing were not raised when she portrayed provocative or violent content in the past. Social media reactions suggest that many view her comments as selective criticism, accusing the actress of moral posturing at a time when her career is reportedly facing a slowdown and major offers are limited.
The debate has once again reignited discussions around consistency, accountability, and the evolving perspectives of actors on the kind of content they choose to endorse.