'Dhurandhar 2, an asteroid which might end...': Filmmaker warns of shake-up in Bollywood's big-budget masala films

Ram Gopal Varma has created buzz online by claiming that Dhurandhar 2 could change the future of commercial films.

In a post on X, Varma described the upcoming film as an “ASTEROID” that might end what he called the “DINOSAUR ERA” of filmmaking driven by volume, spectacle and formulaic storytelling.

 

 

 

 

“DHURANDAR 2 is an ASTEROID which might end the DINOSAUR era,” he wrote, tagging @AdityaDharFilms.

Elaborating on his claim, Varma said the film has “high chances of completely and permanently obliterating the pan india south films movement” by setting “a brand new benchmark with ultra realistic making, genuine character depths etc that actually engage the audience’s brain while still delivering a raw visceral impact.”

The possible survival of Bollywood's 'masala' format

He further argued that if audiences embrace this “new standard,” films currently being made in the conventional masala format could struggle to survive.

“Once audiences taste this new standard, every film currently under production in the previous masala style can become instantly endangered,” he added.

According to Varma, several big-budget projects that are already deep into production or post-production may find it difficult to compete if the film succeeds in shifting audience expectations.

“Those ultra big budgeted masala projects that are already deep into shooting or post production will have an uphill task in competing with the new standards set,” he said, warning that producers who have “bet entire empires on the same previous formulaic making might face empty theatres and career ending losses because of the high costs involved and the audience taste converting to the international standards.”

A changing pattern in filmmaking

The filmmaker also criticised the long-standing blockbuster formula centred around spectacle and hero worship.

“Directors married to the belief of ‘mass + vfx + scale + gravity defying stunts = guaranteed hit’ will have no choice but to reinvent themselves by studying the Dhurandhar audiences,” he wrote.

He further claimed that “Superstars who were depending upon their god like statuses resting solely on mindless hero worship will stand exposed in front of highly effective characters who grow to be heroes in the context of the story rather than already being hailed as heroes from frame one.”

Varma concluded, “DHURANDHAR 2 is not just another film coming on March 19th. It can be an ASTEROID STRIKE that might end the DINOSAUR ERA of film making which is full of sheer volume, fake heroism and the so called masala treatment.”

He ended with a metaphorical warning: “The goal post has been changed and so if the direction of the kick does not change, it might not only break the leg, but it might lose the limb.”

About Dhurandhar: 

In late 2025, the blockbuster run of Dhurandhar surpassed Rs 1,000 crore at the domestic box office and Rs 1,300 crore globally.

Set largely in Lyari, Karachi, the film is built around covert intelligence missions linked to real events such as the Kandahar hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The themes in the film have led to online debates around how real it feels, along with the performances and its political messaging.

Ranveer Singh plays undercover agent Hamza Ali Mazari. The cast also includes R. Madhavan as Indian spymaster Ajay Sanyal, Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam, Akshaye Khanna as gangster Rehman Dakait and Arjun Rampal as ISI Major Iqbal, reportedly inspired by terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri. The film marks Sara Arjun’s debut opposite Ranveer. Rakesh Bedi, Manav Gohil, Gaurav Gera, Danish Pandor, Raj Zutshi and Saumya Tandon appear in key roles.