Dhurandhar 2: R Madhavan reveals Dubai fans are coming to India to watch Ranveer Singh's film

R Madhavan`s Dhurandhar still

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar has shattered box office records. Its sequel is all set to hit theatres in March. Upon release, the movie did not get clearance for release in the Middle East, allegedly due to its anti-Pakistan stance. However, it still trended at number one as CDs were sold illegally, and audiences even used VPN sites to watch the film. Ahead of Part 2's release, R Madhavan shared how, despite the ban, fans are flying to India to watch it in theatres.

R Madhavan on Dhurandhar 2 mania

In a podcast with Sonia Shenoy on her YouTube channel, Madhavan spoke about people flying down from Dubai to India to watch Dhurandhar. He added, "That's the power of good content. Now they are planning their business meetings around March 19 so that they can attend the meeting and watch Dhurandhar 2 because it's not releasing in Dubai. For them, it would be so easy to just watch it on IPTV, okay? And I'm sure they could. But they want to experience watching a film like Dhurandhar in a theatre full of people. That gives you a community experience. Cinema allows that. Watching the same film alone at home feels completely different."

There is something about Aditya Dhar's filmmaking that has struck a chord with audience. Reflecting on it, Madhavan says, "Traditionally, we've been making movies around the India-Pakistan war or our freedom struggle. That has been our action space and our core go-to in terms of storytelling. But the younger generation doesn't even want that anymore. They're like, ‘Samajh gaya main, kitni baar bologe?' (I've understood it, how many times will you say it?) And I think after Dhurandhar, that whole India-Pakistan thing is going to go. That's the full stop now."

More about Dhurandhar

The first instalment of the duology centres on a high-stakes covert counter-terrorism operation. It follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates Karachi's criminal syndicates and political power structures in Pakistan in an effort to dismantle a terror network targeting India.

The film's storyline draws loose inspiration from multiple real-life geopolitical events and conflicts in South Asia, including the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and developments linked to Pakistan's Operation Lyari. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R Madhavan.

The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is set for a theatrical release on March 19, where it will lock horns with Toxic at the box office. It will reportedly follow the story of Hamza gaining control of Lyari after Rehman Dakait's death.