Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on Friday slammed the Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar 2, calling it ‘a false film’ made to spread hatred. Azmi added that the film is about Pakistan and questioned why it is being shown to audiences in India. His statements came as the release of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ triggered fresh controversy, with religious leaders raising concerns over its content.

While speaking to media, he questioned, “This film is made only to spread hatred, it is a false film. It is a Pakistani film, so why not show it to the people of Pakistan? Why show the people of Hindustan?”

Azmi accused the film of defaming Muslims, as he alleged that the movie focuses only on a few criminals while ignoring the many major crimes that have occurred in India.

Earlier, SP MLA Rais Shaikh had criticised the film and raised concerns saying that cinema should entertain, not become a tool for propaganda. Taking to his official handle on X (Formerly Twitter), Shaikh claimed that films like Dhurandhar blur the line between storytelling and political messaging, calling the film an agenda, not an art. “Films like #Dhurandhar blur the line between storytelling and political messaging, repeatedly glorifying one government. This isn’t art, it’s agenda,” he wrote.

AIMIM leader Waris Pathan stated movies should ideally provide knowledge and entertainment, alleging that some filmmakers create such content for monetary gain while spreading negativity against a specific community. 

Despite the controversy, the film garnered a massive box office collection by crossing the Rs 100 crore mark on Day 1 itself. With this, the film’s total collection now stands at a staggering Rs 145.55 crore (all languages), setting the tone for a blockbuster run ahead.

During the paid previews on March 18, the film faced cancellations and delays across India. Not just this, Director Aditya Dhar also issued an apology to the audience after last-minute cancellations and delays.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 is a spy action thriller that stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun. Dhurandhar 2 offers a glimpse into Ranveer’s character, undercover agent Jaskirat Singh Rangi, who is fully embedded in the criminal underworld under the alias Hamza Ali Mazari. It also depicts his ascension to the role of the new Sher-e-Baloch and his ascendancy as the undisputed king of Lyari, as the actor unleashes his full intensity after eliminating Akshaye Khanna’s character, Rahman Dakait, in the first part.

Dhurandhar The Revenge has supassed everyone’s expectations when it comes to the first day collection. It was expected that the movie might take an opening of around Rs. 60-70 crore, but after collecting a fantastic amount of Rs. 43 crore during its paid previews on Wednesday, Dhurandhar 2, on its first day, has hit out of the park by crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark.

According to Sacnilk, the movie on its first day has collected Rs. 102.55 crore (all languages), which is an exceptional amount. So, the total collection is Rs. 145.55 crore (all languages).

The major chunk of the day one collection has come from the original Hindi version, and the South Indian dubbed versions have not done great business. The Telugu version minted Rs. 2.12 crore on its first day, the Tamil version collected Rs. 1.16 crore, in Kannada, the collection was Rs. 8 lakh, and the Malayalam version collected Rs. 9 lakh.

The Ranveer Singh directorial has received positive reviews from the critics. The Free Press Journal reviewer gave the movie 3 stars and wrote, “Dhurandhar: The Revenge is a gripping, high-voltage drama that works largely because of Ranveer’s powerhouse performance. Despite its slow patches and excessive gore, the film delivers enough thrills and emotion to keep audiences invested.”

With positive reviews and word of mouth it is expected that Dhurandhar 2 will show a jump at the box office over the weekend, and we won’t be surprised if the film surpasses the Rs. 300-400 crore mark in just four days (extended week).

Dhurandhar 2 Budget

Dhurandhar 2 is already a super profitable venture for the makers. So, according to some reports, Dhurandhar parts 1 and 2 were made on a budget of Rs. 280 crore. So, with just part 1 collection, more than Rs. 800 crore at the box office, part 2 is just an addition to the fantastic collection.

Aditya Dhar’s highly anticipated “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” gears up for a grand release on Thursday, the filmmaker has requested everyone not to share any spoilers, keeping the experience good for every movie buff.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the sequel is – who is ‘Bade Sahab’?.

While a lot of names have been doing rounds on social media, such as Salman Khan and Emraan Hashmi, it will only be revealed tomorrow who the real ‘Bade Sahad’ in the ‘Dhurandhar’ world is.

Taking to his official Instagram handle, Dhar penned a heartfelt note thanking the audience for all the love showered on “Dhurandhar”.

“To my dearest, most extraordinary Dhurandhar family…5th December 2025, Dhurandhar released in cinemas worldwide. And since then, you didn’t just watch our film. You loved it, You lived it. You appreciated every quiet detail, debated every moment, rewatched it and noticed things I never even thought anyone would. Somewhere in that beautiful, unpredictable journey, our film became yours. Then the nations. And then the world’s! That is the most humbling, most moving gift a filmmaker could ever receive. (sic)”

The director revealed that with “Dhurandhar: The Revenge”, they really wanted to surprise the viewers.

He added, “So when we sat down to make ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ we knew one thing with absolute certainty: we had to surprise you. We had to make you feel emotions you weren’t prepared for. Deeply. Honestly. That is never easy. But for you. We tried our very hardest.”

Dhar further requested all to witness the movie in theatres and experience every emotion on the big screen.

“We’ve put our hearts into Dhurandhar: The revenge so you can experience every twist, every emotion, exactly the way it is meant to be felt. In a theatre, in the dark, surrounded by friends, family and even strangers, everyone feeling the same emotions.”

Towards the end, the ‘Uri’ maker urged everyone not to share any spoilers after watching the drama.

“Here is my one, heartfelt, earnest request…..”Please don’t share spoilers!” Let every single fan walk in clueless but curious and walk out with their own deeply personal version of what they felt,” added Dhar.