Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has sparked debate with his bold prediction about the upcoming action sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
The director recently claimed that if the film manages to earn between Rs. 1,500 crore and Rs. 2,000 crore worldwide, it could dramatically disrupt the current dominance of South Indian films at the box office.
The film, starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 19, 2026.
RGV’s bold prediction
Speaking about the film’s potential impact on the industry, Varma told Variety India that a massive box-office performance could challenge the dominance of South cinema in recent years.
“If it creates numbers like Rs. 1,500–2,000 crores, then all the South films will go for a toss,” Varma said, suggesting such a milestone could significantly reshape box-office trends in India.
He also argued that many South Indian action films still follow an “old-school” style of spectacle and storytelling, implying that a big Bollywood blockbuster could shift the narrative.
Speaking about the high expectations from the aditya Dhar film, he added, “I think it will be fantastic. See, more than anything else, the audience has invested in the characters and the story so much. I think they will just follow the trajectory of the characters from part one. They shot both parts simultaneously, right? So it'll be like one film split into two. I don't think they'll have any over-expectations. This is not like a franchise. It's like the Baahubali films. Yeah, like that only. I feel Dhurandhar 2 will do better business than part one. Also, they are promoting Dhurandhar 2 heavily in the south.”
A sequel to a blockbuster
Dhurandhar: The Revenge serves as the second instalment in the Dhurandhar duology, following the success of the first film released in 2025.
The sequel continues the story of an Indian operative operating across borders and features a star-studded ensemble including Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R. Madhavan alongside Ranveer Singh.
The film will release across multiple Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, signalling its pan-India ambitions.
A bigger industry conversation
Varma’s remarks have reignited the long-running conversation around Bollywood’s struggle to match the pan-India box-office success of South Indian films in recent years.
Films from the southern industries have dominated the nationwide box office with large-scale spectacles, prompting ongoing debate about shifting audience preferences and filmmaking styles.
With Dhurandhar: The Revenge gearing up for release during the festive period of Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Eid, the film’s box-office performance will likely determine whether Varma’s bold prediction turns into reality.
