Ranveer Singh accepted a lower fee for Dhurandhar despite its scale; here's why

Ranveer Singh (A still from Dhurandhar, via Instagram)

Ranveer Singh may not have pocketed a massive upfront paycheck for Dhurandhar, but the film's blockbuster success ensured he ultimately earned significantly more through a profit-sharing arrangement.

Speaking about the financial strategy behind the franchise, producer Jyoti Deshpande revealed that both Ranveer Singh and director Aditya Dhar agreed to reduce their fixed remuneration in favour of backend deals. This meant they would earn a share of the profits if the films performed well at the box office.

Jyoti Deshpande reveals Ranveer Singh took a lower fee

Deshpande explained, "Ranveer took a lower upfront fee and participated in the upside. Aditya also reduced his fee and shared the risk with us." According to her, the arrangement worked in everyone's favour as the franchise went on to become a massive commercial success.

She further revealed that Dhurandhar eventually became far more expensive than originally planned. "The budget almost doubled from what we had initially envisaged," she said, adding that the team chose to support the project's growing scale and ambition despite the increased financial commitment.

Interestingly, the producer disclosed that Dhurandhar was never conceived as a franchise. "It was always meant to be one film," she said. However, after reviewing footage from the first shooting schedule, the makers felt the story had the potential to expand into a larger cinematic universe. "When we saw the rushes, we realised there was enough material and depth to tell the story across two films," she explained.

All about Dhurandhar's sucess

Deshpande also spoke about what initially drew her to the project. "What excited me was the geopolitical backdrop and the chapter-based storytelling," she said. She noted that the narrative structure felt fresh and reflected evolving audience preferences shaped by streaming content. "People today are comfortable consuming stories in chapters, and this format felt very contemporary," she added.

The gamble ultimately paid off. With Dhurandhar and its sequel reportedly earning over Rs 3,000 crore worldwide, the franchise has emerged as one of the biggest successes in recent Indian cinema. Deshpande expressed confidence in its long-term future, saying, "We believe this is a world that can continue to grow and entertain audiences for many years to come."

By choosing a profit-sharing model over hefty upfront fees, both Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar aligned their earnings with the franchise's performance a decision that proved highly rewarding once audiences embraced the films on a grand scale.