RGV says Dhurandhar The Revenge will rattle South cinema if it earns Rs 2,000 crore

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar 2 could disrupt the dominance of South films if it crosses the ₹1500–2000 crore mark. Here's why the filmmaker believes the sequel could reshape box office trends.

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma believes the upcoming sequel Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge could shake up the Indian film industry if it delivers massive box office numbers. Speaking about the Ranveer Singh-starrer, Varma said the film has the potential to disrupt the dominance of southern cinema -- provided it crosses the Rs 1500 - 2000 crore mark worldwide.

In a recent conversation with Variety India, the filmmaker suggested that such a milestone could dramatically alter box office trends. “If Dhurandhar 2 creates numbers like 1500–2000 crores, then all the south films will go for a toss,” Varma said, adding that many southern action films are still built around an “old-school” style of storytelling and spectacle.

The sequel arrives on the back of the blockbuster success of Dhurandhar, which reportedly earned around Rs 1300 crore worldwide after its release in December last year.

According to Varma, the biggest advantage for the sequel is the audience’s existing connection with its characters and storyline. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy thriller follows Singh’s character Hamza -- also known as Jaskirat -- an Indian operative working in Pakistan.

Varma told Variety India that the emotional investment viewers already have in the story could help the sequel outperform the first film. “The audience has invested in the characters and the story so much. I think they will just follow the trajectory from part one,” he said.

He also pointed out that both parts were shot simultaneously, which means the narrative flows like “one film split into two,” drawing comparisons with the storytelling approach of Baahubali.