From censored scenes to desaturated colours: Why Netflix is facing viewers’ ire over Dhurandhar

After a successful theatrical run, Dhurandhar—starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt—has made its way to Netflix. However, the initial excitement around its OTT debut has quickly given way to criticism, with viewers flagging alleged cuts and poor streaming quality.

The first wave of backlash followed reports claiming that the Netflix version of Dhurandhar had been censored. While the film had a theatrical runtime of 3 hours and 34 minutes, its OTT version reportedly runs for 3 hours and 25 minutes, sparking speculation that nearly nine minutes of footage were removed.

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, a source claimed that Netflix made the edits independently, without seeking approval from director Aditya Dhar.


However, a separate report by Pinkvilla contradicted this narrative, stating that the filmmakers submitted an unaltered version of the film for its streaming release. “The Dhurandhar makers delivered a version with no edits or cuts for its Netflix premiere. The version fully complies with the streamer’s mandates and requirements,” a source was quoted as saying.

The report further added that the film was offered to Netflix without any trims, effectively dismissing rumours of a “censored” OTT cut. “The production team has gone strictly by Netflix’s requirements,” the source said.

Beyond the debate over alleged cuts, viewers have also slammed Netflix for what they describe as a significant drop in audio-visual quality. Several users took to social media to complain about dull visuals, desaturated colours and poor contrast.

“For anyone who hasn’t watched Dhurandhar yet, do yourself a favour and watch it in a theatre. The theatrical experience adds a lot to the film, and the Netflix version feels noticeably downgraded,” one user wrote while sharing screenshots comparing both versions.

Another commented, “No contrast #DhurandharOnNetflix. YouTube videos have better sound and video quality.”

A third user said, “This feels like a theatre-record print. Worst OTT release ever by Netflix. Why did they ruin the colours?”

“Netflix has destroyed the film’s gorgeous cinematography—dusty, heavily desaturated frames and a dull brown palette,” another viewer wrote.

The film crossed Rs 800 crore at the domestic box office and made more than Rs 1200 crore worldwide. Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 is locked for a major Eid 2026 release on March 19. The sequel will release simultaneously in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, marking a five-language pan-India and global rollout.