Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who has had a good year with his sleeper hit Main Vaapas Aaunga, recently spoke about how people called Dhurandhar an 'impractical' film when it was being pitched to studios.

He said Dhurandhar was once seen as the 'most impractical' project with the 'least likelihood of success'. Today, it has become a reference point for filmmakers trying to understand what audiences want.

Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2026, Imtiaz talked about the uncertainty the Hindi film industry is going through right now. Filmmakers are struggling to work out what actually runs at the box office.

"We are in that phase where people are saying that 'nothing is working'. We don’t know what kind of film to make so that it will run at the box office. Should we go with a big star, non-star? People are saying that attention span is missing in the audience now."

He then pointed to Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar as proof that a film can challenge the industry’s long-held assumptions. According to him, the project was considered impractical when it was first presented to studios.

"But the films that are inevitably doing well are three hours long. When Dhurandhar was actually conceived and was doing its run around the studios, people thought this was the most impractical film with the least likelihood of success."

He added, "But it broke all the rules and now that everybody wants to make it. So all of us in the film industry are thinking about what will work."

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Dhurandhar Box Office Collection So Far

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar Part 1 and Part 2 both turned out to be major box office successes.

As per Sacnilk, the first part collected Rs 840.20 crore net in India after 84 days. Its worldwide gross stands at Rs 1,307.35 crore.

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The second part earned Rs 1149.30 crore net in India. After 106 days, it had collected Rs 1,813.39 crore worldwide.

Led by Ranveer Singh, the film also stars Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. It was produced by Aditya Dhar, Lokesh Dhar and Jyoti Deshpande under the banners of B62 Studios and Jio Studios.

FAQ

1. How much did Imtiaz Ali's last film, Main Vaapas Aaunga, collect?

Imtiaz Ali’s sleeper hit Main Vaapas Aaunga earned Rs 65.16 crore net in India. Its worldwide gross collection stands at around Rs 99.39 crore.

2. What is the box office collection of Dhurandhar Part 1?

Dhurandhar Part 1 collected Rs 840.20 crore net in India after 84 days, with its worldwide gross reaching Rs 1,307.35 crore.

3. What is the box office collection of Dhurandhar Part 2?

Dhurandhar: The Revenge earned Rs 1,149.30 crore net in India and collected Rs 1,813.39 crore worldwide after 106 days.

4. Where can I watch Dhurandhar on OTT?

You can stream Dhurandhar Part 1 on Netflix and JioHotstar. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is also available to watch on JioHotstar and Netflix.