When AI Imagines Dhurandhar in the ’80s: Amitabh Bachchan as Hamza, Vinod Khanna as Rehman Dakait and Sridevi as Yalina

Even after nearly six weeks in theatres, Dhurandhar shows no signs of slowing down. What began as a big-ticket spy thriller has now turned into a full-blown pop culture moment, one that goes beyond box office numbers and enters the realm of imagination. While audiences are still flocking to cinemas, social media has found a fresh way to celebrate the film: by asking a simple but irresistible question, what if Dhurandhar had been made in the 1980s?

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released on December 5 and stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal. The film has remained steady at the box office, benefiting from festive holidays as well. According to Sacnilk, the film saw a noticeable jump on day 41 due to Makar Sankranti, earning around Rs 3.4 crore on Wednesday alone. With that, Dhurandhar crossed the Rs 1,300 crore mark globally and has earned over Rs 800 crore in India, firmly placing it as the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 so far.



But numbers aside, it’s the film’s characters that have truly stayed with viewers, particularly Akshaye Khanna’s chilling turn as Rehman Dakait. His performance has been widely discussed, and in an interesting twist of fate, AI has now reimagined the same character being played by Khanna’s real-life father, Vinod Khanna.

If Dhurandhar was made in 80s

The viral AI concept comes from artist and short filmmaker Souvik, who shared visuals on Instagram imagining Dhurandhar as an ’80s Bollywood spectacle. In this alternate universe, Amitabh Bachchan steps into the role of Hamza Ali Mazari. With flowing hair, a heavy beard, intense eyes, and a cigarette in hand, Big B’s look instantly evokes memories of his brooding Deewar phase.

Facing him is Vinod Khanna as Rehman Dakait, dressed in sharp black Pathani suits and aviator sunglasses. The casting feels especially poetic, given Khanna’s legendary rivalry with Bachchan during the 1970s and 80s, and the fact that the role is played by his son in the present-day version.


The nostalgia doesn’t stop there. Sridevi is envisioned as Yalina, a character originally played by Sara Arjun, while Parveen Babi appears as Ulfat, Rehman’s wife. The supporting cast reads like a dream lineup from Hindi cinema’s golden era, Amrish Puri as SP Aslam, Jackie Shroff as Major Iqbal, Rishi Kapoor as Uzair, and Paresh Rawal as Ajay Sanyal.

More about Dhurandar

The post quickly caught attention online, with fans praising the casting choices and visual detailing. Even director Aditya Dhar joined the conversation, reacting to the AI creation by calling it “superb,” a response that only added fuel to the excitement.

As Dhurandhar continues its successful theatrical run, this AI reimagining proves that the film has done more than entertain. The film has crossed the lifetime box office collections of KGF: Chapter 2 (Rs 1,215 crore) and RRR (Rs 1,230 crore). However, it is still behind the worldwide earnings of Pushpa 2: The Rule (Rs 1,742.10 crore) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (Rs 1,788.06 crore). Now, Dhurandhar 2 will hit the theatres and clash with Yash's Toxic.

According to a Bollywood Hungama report, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) cleared the teaser of the sequel on January 19, 2026. The censor certificate lists the film’s title reportedly as Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The teaser, which runs for just over a minute, has been given an “A” certificate. The teaser of the sequel will reportedly be attached alongside Border 2 in the theatres.

Stay tuned!