Veteran filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has publicly applauded director Aditya Dhar for his unwavering dedication to Dhurandhar, saying the filmmaker never compromised on his vision despite years of challenges. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sanjay shared what he had heard from a crew member who worked closely on the film, praising Dhar’s commitment throughout every stage of the project.
Sanjay Gupta praises Aditya Dhar’s commitment
Sanjay Gupta expressed admiration for Aditya after speaking with someone who had been part of Dhurandhar’s production. Reflecting on the director’s work ethic, he wrote: “Yesterday I met a crew member from Dhurandar, who watched Aditya Dhar fight for his vision every single day of pre-production, shoot & post. No shortcuts. It was conviction vs. convenience. That’s the difference. Filmmaking is not playing ‘SHOOTING-SHOOTING’.”
Four years of persistence
During an appearance on the InControversial Podcast, Sanjay earlier spoke about the long journey behind Dhurandhar. According to him, Aditya spent nearly four years trying to get the film off the ground before it finally moved into production.
“It is very evident that Aditya Dhar is inspired by filmmakers of the 80s and 90s. I can clearly see those influences and that style of world-building. There is no doubt that Aditya Dhar is an exceptionally intelligent filmmaker. But having said that, he spent four years trying to put this project together. That’s how difficult it is, irrespective of whether your last film was a hit or not,” he had said.
What we know about Dhurandhar
Dhurandhar is directed by Aditya Dhar and features Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. With an estimated budget of over ₹250 crore, the project was produced by B62 Studios and backed by Jyoti Deshpande of Jio Studios.
The story follows Jaskirat Singh Rangi (Ranveer Singh), a deep-cover Indian intelligence agent. Under the alias Hamza Ali Mazari, he has completely embedded himself within the dangerous criminal underworld of Karachi’s Lyari district. Picking up after the first instalment, Dhurandhar: The Revenge sees Hamza climbing the underworld ranks. His ultimate mission is to destroy the terror network behind the 26/11 attacks from the inside. This high-stakes operation leads to a brutal, direct confrontation with the formidable Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal) and a mysterious mastermind known as Bade Sahab.
The first part of Dhurandhar is currently streaming on Netflix. Dhurandhar: The Revenge, on the other hand, is available on both Netflix and JioHotstar.