Dhurandhar 2 will permanently wipe out the pan-India South movie era, says Ram Gopal Varma. Calls Ranveer Singh's movie an 'asteroid strike'

Dhurandhar 2 is all set to hit theatres next month on March 19. Ahead of its release, the first part of the Ranveer Singh–led espionage thriller has been making waves on streaming. Dhurandhar has emerged as one of the most-watched films on Netflix. Amid the growing buzz, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has made a bold claim, stating that the sequel could mark the end of the pan-India South film movement and the traditional masala era.

How Dhurandhar 2 will change the game at box office?

Taking to his X (formerly called Twitter) on Tuesday, RGV shared a note about the potential impact of Dhurandhar 2. He suggested that the film has the power to completely and permanently dismantle the current wave of formula-driven pan-India South films. According to him, the sequel sets a fresh benchmark with its ultra-realistic storytelling and deeply layered characters that engage viewers intellectually while still delivering an intense cinematic experience.



RGV argued that once audiences experience this new style of filmmaking, many ongoing projects rooted in the older masala format could struggle to survive. In his view, films relying heavily on spectacle, scale and exaggerated action sequences may find it difficult to compete if viewers begin demanding more grounded and meaningful narratives.

The filmmaker further added, "Those ultra big budgeted masala projects that are already deep into shooting or post production will have an uphill task in competing with the new standards set. Producers who bet entire empires on the same previous formulaic making might face empty theatres and career ending losses because of the high costs involved and the audience taste converting to the international standards Directors married to the belief of “mass + vfx + scale + gravity defying stunts = guaranteed hit will have no choice but to reinvent themselves by studying the Dhurandhar audiences."

The Satya director also took aim at the culture of hero worship. He remarked that superstars who depend solely on their larger-than-life image might find themselves exposed in front of characters who grow organically within the story. Instead of being celebrated as heroes from the very first frame, he believes audiences may now prefer protagonists who earn their stature through narrative depth.

Describing the sequel in dramatic terms, he compared Dhurandhar 2 to an “asteroid strike” that could bring an end to what he called the “dinosaur era” of filmmaking. He added that if filmmakers fail to adapt to the changing goalposts, the consequences could be severe for the industry.

More about Dhurandhar 2

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy thriller will delve deeper into the backstory of Ranveer Singh’s character Hamza as he completes his high-stakes mission against a criminal syndicate. The film also features Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and R. Madhavan in key roles.

At the box office, Dhurandhar 2 will face competition from Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups, starring Yash and directed by Geetu Mohandas. Stay tuned!