In a striking commentary on the current state of Hindi cinema, veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has declared that the monumental success of Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar has left many directors and producers in a state of fear. According to RGV, the film's groundbreaking and realistic portrayal of action has served as a wake-up call for an industry accustomed to stylized, over-the-top sequences.
The 'Quantum Leap' That Has Makers Rethinking
Speaking to a news channel, Ram Gopal Varma elaborated on the profound impact of Aditya Dhar's directorial venture. He stated that the film's success has forced a major rethink in Bollywood, compelling filmmakers to go back and scrutinize scripts currently in production. "I know 3–4 director friends of mine who are scared about what is going to work, whether what they are making will work? That is the effect of this film," Varma revealed.
He emphasized that Dhurandhar represents a "quantum leap" by presenting action that feels authentic and plausible, a stark contrast to the gravity-defying stunts common in big-budget films over the last decade. "The audience is used to seeing that kind of action in big films... In Dhurandhar, the action seems real, it is how it will happen and that is being liked so much more," he explained.
Industry Initially Ignored the Phenomenon, Says RGV
RGV made a bold claim that a significant section of the film fraternity chose to initially overlook the film's record-breaking box office performance. He attributed this to a sense of helplessness and an inability to replicate its formula. "Most of the time the film industry wants to ignore something that becomes highly successful because they don’t know what to do," Varma asserted.
He even described Dhurandhar as a "horror film" for the industry because of the fear it has instilled. "Do you have the capacity to imitate this film?" he questioned, adding that many films releasing after it would have risked being "laughed out of the theatres."
A 'Realistic Mahabharata' and a New Benchmark for Heroes
Ram Gopal Varma drew an epic parallel, comparing the narrative and character depth of Dhurandhar to the Mahabharata. He cited the powerful introduction of characters like Babu Dakait as an example of psychological storytelling. "That is what I meant by psychological play of violence... That is what I mean by Mahabharata. Very realistic Mahabharata, for me," he said.
Furthermore, Varma made a startling comparison between Ranveer Singh's portrayal of the spy Hamza and Sunny Deol's iconic performance in Gadar. He stated that Deol's larger-than-life act now appears "unreal" when contrasted with Singh's understated and immersive performance. "A spy is not supposed to make his presence felt all the time—he’s disappearing into the story. That’s [the] hero, whereas in all the other films, the stories constantly keep elevating, pushing him up," Varma observed, highlighting the subtle yet powerful heroism in Dhurandhar.
The filmmaker's candid observations underscore a potential paradigm shift in Bollywood, triggered by the unprecedented success of a film that dared to redefine the grammar of the mainstream action genre.
