‘Ranveer Singh at all-time low, Aditya Dhar had 1 film’: Sanjay Gupta on Dhurandhar’s Rs 300-cr gamble

“It is very evident that Aditya Dhar is inspired by filmmakers of the 80s and 90s. I can clearly see those influences and that style of world-building. There is no doubt that Aditya Dhar is an exceptionally intelligent filmmaker. But having said that, he spent four years trying to put this project together. That’s how difficult it is, irrespective of whether your last film was a hit or not,” Gupta said.

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He further added that the turning point came when Ranveer Singh came on board and the project received backing from the Ambanis. “The thing is that at some point of time, he met Ranveer… who heard the script, loved it and they were backed by the Ambanis. That support was extremely important. At a time when the film was being made on a Rs 300 crore budget, nobody in their right mind would put that kind of money on a director who had made just one film and an actor who was going through an all-time career low. But they believed in it.”

The veteran filmmaker also admitted he was fascinated by Aditya’s decision to split the story into two parts while retaining its cinematic flow. “Even we make films and write scripts, and I don’t believe he never intended to make a eight-hour story. But the way they contained it and structured it is fantastic,” he said.

The filmmaker went on to praise Dhar’s execution and work ethic, revealing how astonishingly fast the massive project was completed. “In the last few days, Aditya posted emotional notes for his cinematographer and editor on Instagram. In the note for the editor, he thanked him for supporting the decision to make it a two-part film and shaping it so beautifully. He is exceptional. The other day, Rakesh Bedi told me that Aditya shot for 150 days and ended up making an eight-hour film. That is incredible. He has set a completely new benchmark.”

Interestingly, Aditya’s own journey in the film industry was anything but easy. Before making his directorial debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike in 2019, the filmmaker reportedly spent nearly a decade struggling to establish himself, often dealing with people stealing his scripts and ideas. When Uri released, it became a blockbuster phenomenon and transformed Vicky Kaushal into a major star overnight.

However, despite the massive success of Uri, the filmmaker disappeared from the spotlight soon after, with his ambitious project The Immortal Ashwatthama eventually getting shelved. Then, in 2023, he surprised everyone by announcing Dhurandhar with a star-studded cast featuring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt. The film was backed by Jio Studios.

Three years later, Dhurandhar turned into a global cinematic phenomenon, with both parts together reportedly crossing Rs 3000 crore worldwide and creating a frenzy that continues long after its release.