'A video maker got swept away': Buoyed by box office success, 'Dhurandhar' director Aditya Dhar takes indirect swipe at Dhruv Rathee
Soon after the story went viral on social media, Redditors were quick to share their takes.
- Dec 24, 2025,
- Updated Dec 24, 2025 1:25 PM IST
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar, the director of the Ranveer Singh-led espionage thriller Dhurandhar, appears to have taken an indirect jibe at popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee amid the film’s strong box office run, suggesting that a “video maker” who attempted to criticise the movie was overwhelmed by public backlash.
In a lengthy Instagram story on Wednesday, Dhar reflected on the film’s reception, calling Dhurandhar an “organic” box office success and claiming that allegations of “corporate bookings” had gone silent following its performance in theatres.
“A video maker tried to criticise it recently & got swept away by a wave of criticism against him,” Dhar wrote, without naming anyone directly. The remark has been widely interpreted on social media as a veiled reference to Dhruv Rathee, who had recently released a critical video on the film.
Dhar’s post positioned Dhurandhar as a cultural moment rather than just a commercial success. “History is being rewritten in Indian cinema by men & women who have fire in their hearts & love for their country,” he wrote, adding that the team behind the film wanted to tell a story “to their country people.”
Emphasising the film’s momentum, Dhar described Dhurandhar as a “craze” and a “tsunami” that will “sweep away any other release in its path,” predicting that its impact will extend well into 2026. “It is not going to stop soon,” he asserted.
The director also praised the collective effort behind the project, calling it a “tsunami created by a young director from Delhi and his team of actors & technicians,” and highlighting what he described as a shared vision, passion for storytelling and confidence in the film’s intent.
In his story, Dhar tagged lead actor Ranveer Singh along with R. Madhavan, and other members of the cast and crew, stressing that each contributor was “equally vital” to the film’s success.
Ending on a patriotic note, Dhar echoed the popular slogan “How’s the josh, sir?”, reinforcing the film’s nationalist undertone and its resonance with audiences.
Soon after the story went viral on social media, Redditors were quick to share their takes. Some said that it seems like Dhar would not be moving the release date for Dharandhar's sequel, whereas others felt Dhar gave Rathee unwarranted attention.
"Looks like Aditya won't be moving the dates. Yash also seems adamant for 19th March release. Both will impact each other's business even though very small way or maybe it will be our own Barbieheinmer," a user commented.
A second user wrote: "Personally I feel aditya shouldn't have given him this attention. Rathee will think he did something, and count this as a win."
A third user said: "Even mentioning his name means giving him importance. Just ignore him completely..." Another user commented, "Really excited for March 19 2026!!!"
Filmmaker Aditya Dhar, the director of the Ranveer Singh-led espionage thriller Dhurandhar, appears to have taken an indirect jibe at popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee amid the film’s strong box office run, suggesting that a “video maker” who attempted to criticise the movie was overwhelmed by public backlash.
In a lengthy Instagram story on Wednesday, Dhar reflected on the film’s reception, calling Dhurandhar an “organic” box office success and claiming that allegations of “corporate bookings” had gone silent following its performance in theatres.
“A video maker tried to criticise it recently & got swept away by a wave of criticism against him,” Dhar wrote, without naming anyone directly. The remark has been widely interpreted on social media as a veiled reference to Dhruv Rathee, who had recently released a critical video on the film.
Dhar’s post positioned Dhurandhar as a cultural moment rather than just a commercial success. “History is being rewritten in Indian cinema by men & women who have fire in their hearts & love for their country,” he wrote, adding that the team behind the film wanted to tell a story “to their country people.”
Emphasising the film’s momentum, Dhar described Dhurandhar as a “craze” and a “tsunami” that will “sweep away any other release in its path,” predicting that its impact will extend well into 2026. “It is not going to stop soon,” he asserted.
The director also praised the collective effort behind the project, calling it a “tsunami created by a young director from Delhi and his team of actors & technicians,” and highlighting what he described as a shared vision, passion for storytelling and confidence in the film’s intent.
In his story, Dhar tagged lead actor Ranveer Singh along with R. Madhavan, and other members of the cast and crew, stressing that each contributor was “equally vital” to the film’s success.
Ending on a patriotic note, Dhar echoed the popular slogan “How’s the josh, sir?”, reinforcing the film’s nationalist undertone and its resonance with audiences.
Soon after the story went viral on social media, Redditors were quick to share their takes. Some said that it seems like Dhar would not be moving the release date for Dharandhar's sequel, whereas others felt Dhar gave Rathee unwarranted attention.
"Looks like Aditya won't be moving the dates. Yash also seems adamant for 19th March release. Both will impact each other's business even though very small way or maybe it will be our own Barbieheinmer," a user commented.
A second user wrote: "Personally I feel aditya shouldn't have given him this attention. Rathee will think he did something, and count this as a win."
A third user said: "Even mentioning his name means giving him importance. Just ignore him completely..." Another user commented, "Really excited for March 19 2026!!!"