aif Ali Khan Calls Dhurandhar a Turning Point for Hindi Cinema

Saif Ali Khan believes the Dhurandhar franchise has fundamentally reshaped Bollywood following its record-breaking global box office run of more than ₹3,100 crore. Speaking in a recent interview, the actor said the industry now faces a defining choice: embrace bolder filmmaking or risk falling behind in a post-Dhurandhar era.

Saif sees a new chapter for Bollywood

Reflecting on the impact of director Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster franchise, Saif said Hindi cinema can now be viewed in two distinct phases.

“I see a time before Dhurandhar and a time after. It’s up to us whether we catch up or not and wake up or not,” he said during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India.

The actor argued that audiences are increasingly responding to films made with conviction and originality rather than formula-driven productions. He suggested the extraordinary gap between Dhurandhar: The Revenge and other recent Hindi releases should encourage filmmakers to rethink creative choices.

Saif questioned why the franchise’s commercial success had been so dominant, saying the industry should become more introspective and strive to “get it right more often” by taking greater creative risks.

Music and storytelling drew special praise

A major aspect of the franchise that impressed Saif was its unconventional treatment of music.

Instead of relying on standalone promotional songs or traditional “item numbers,” the films integrated music into the narrative. He praised composer Shashwat Sachdev’s soundtrack, which blended original compositions with carefully selected remixes and recreated tracks.

Saif singled out the wedding sequence song Shararat, featuring Ayesha Khan and Krystle D’Souza, calling its presentation “revolutionary.”

Rather than interrupting the story, the performance unfolds naturally during the wedding celebrations of Ranveer Singh’s character, Hamza.

“Imagine if that changed the way of hiring a beautiful leading lady to do an item song. If you just treat it as a song and have these two girls performing as you would at a wedding, it doesn’t jar the eyes at all,” Saif said.

He also praised the franchise’s willingness to draw musical influences from around the world instead of creating entirely separate albums for every film.

A franchise that redefined the box office

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the first Dhurandhar released in December 2025, followed by Dhurandhar: The Revenge in March 2026.

Together, the two films have earned more than ₹3,100 crore worldwide. The sequel alone collected around ₹1,813 crore globally, making it one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever and comfortably ahead of the year’s next biggest Hindi release.

The franchise stars Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun. Its soundtrack also emerged as a major streaming success.

Industry conversations continue

The franchise has continued to dominate industry discussions beyond the box office.

Recent comments by Ram Charan also generated debate after he said he had watched Dhurandhar on OTT the previous week despite having publicly praised Dhurandhar: The Revenge during its theatrical release in March. The differing timelines led fans to question whether he was referring to a rewatch or the original film. Director Aditya Dhar later thanked the actor for his appreciation, though the exact context of Charan’s remarks remains open to interpretation.

What’s next for Saif Ali Khan

Saif was most recently seen in the crime thriller Kartavya, which received positive reviews for his performance.

He is set to appear next in the period drama Hum Hindustani and will reunite with Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan, marking their first collaboration in nearly two decades.