'Rehman Dakait like Bhiku Mhatre': Viral video claims Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar is a copy of Anurag Kashyap's Satya. Here's why

Dhurandhar, the Ranveer Singh-led action drama directed by Aditya Dhar, is one of the most successful Bollywood films in recent years. During its 75-day theatrical run after releasing on December 5, 2025, the film earned Rs 894.49 crore in India and Rs 1,354.84 crore worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing Indian movies of all time.

While many praised the film for its gripping story and performances, an X user has now claimed that Dhurandhar shares striking similarities with the 1998 blockbuster Satya. The Ram Gopal Varma directorial, written by Saurabh Shukla and Anurag Kashyap, follows Satya (J.D. Chakravarthy), a migrant who arrives in Mumbai in search of work, befriends gangster Bhiku Mhatre (Manoj Bajpayee), and gradually becomes part of the city’s underworld. The film was also among the highest-grossing Indian movies of 1998 and later achieved cult status.

In the viral post, the user compared several scenes and plot elements from both films. According to the post, the similarities include:

• A protagonist with an unknown past arriving in a city and getting attacked by criminals
  
  
• The protagonist eventually joining a gang
  
  
• A gang member giving him a tour of his new home
  
  
• The protagonist killing those who initially attacked him
  
  
• A politician warning them against starting a gang war due to elections
  
  
• The protagonist defying orders, leading to violent gang clashes
  
  
• The protagonist falling in love
  
  
• A determined police officer trying to clean up the city
  
  

The post further claimed that Dhurandhar’s Rehman Dakait character was inspired by Satya’s Bhiku Mhatre, and even alleged that the iconic slap scene was recreated. It also compared Akshaye Khanna’s election rally speech in Dhurandhar with Manoj Bajpayee’s famous monologue in Satya.



However, not everyone agreed with the comparison.

“The storylines may overlap, but these are common themes. An underdog rising to defeat the villain doesn’t make the films identical,” one X user wrote.

Another commented, “You do realize that Ram Gopal Varma himself praised the movie, and Madhavan never made such claims.”

A third user added, “These are called tropes. Politicians, gang rivalries, and cops trying to restore order are standard elements in crime dramas.”

Despite the debate, anticipation remains high for the sequel. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is slated for release on March 19, 2026, and is expected to clash with Yash-starrer Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups at the box office. The trailer for Dhurandhar 2 is expected to launch in early March, with Ranveer Singh set to reprise his fierce ‘Lyari’s King’ avatar.