Mar 14, 2026 6:27pm IST
Aditya Dhar Urged to Begin Work on ‘Dhurandhar 3’ as ‘Dhurandhar 2’ Gears Up For Historic Opening (EXCLUSIVE)
The excitement surrounding “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” is at fever pitch, with audiences impatiently awaiting its arrival in theatres. The record-breaking advance sales for its paid premiere shows scheduled on March 18 are just an indication of a box office tsunami expected once the film releases nationwide this coming Thursday.
Last December, “Dhurandhar” emerged as the biggest Bollywood film of all time in India. Starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal, the Aditya Dhar directorial earned 839 crore net in India and 1306 crore gross worldwide — exceeding all the expectations of Dhar, Jio Studios, and other stakeholders of the film by a huge margin. Its massive commercial success has transformed the film into a valuable IP for the studio, and they are now exploring expanding the universe further.
As its sequel, “Dhurandhar 2,” is tracking for an all-time highest opening day and weekend, industry sources reveal Jio Studios has urged Aditya Dhar to develop “Dhurandhar 3.” The studio is enthusiastic about building a long-term cinematic universe around this property, though it’s yet unclear whether Dhar has agreed to the idea.
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“It's a kind of subject that can be made into multiple parts. Given the phenomenon created by Dhurandhar and the unprecedented buzz around its sequel, a third part cannot be ruled out,” a trade source told us. “Dhar does have an idea about the third chapter, but he isn't committing just yet. For now, Jio Studios doesn't want to miss out and has asked Dhar to at least include a post-credit tease in Dhurandhar 2 to hint at a possible third film to sustain audience excitement.”
Another source, however, says that “Dhurandhar 3” might be announced because Jio Studios wants it, but just the announcement doesn't guarantee whether the film will be made. Dhar avoids formulaic franchise filmmaking and prefers challenging himself with each project. After spending over two and a half years on Dhurandhar, he would rather want to get onto a different world altogether. He is not so enthusiastic about creating a film universe, as he finds following the same trend again and again plainly boring," the source said, adding, “Dhurandhar worked because it broke the usual template of the YRF Spy Universe and the popular South Indian action movies. Dhar may not want to trap himself within the very trend he challenged.”
Whether “Dhurandhar 3” happens or not, Aditya Dhar is committed to directing his next feature film for Jio Studios. The “Uri: The Surgical Strike” director has signed an exclusive first-look deal with the studio, as per which Dhar will develop and produce multiple projects for the banner. Dhar hasn't decided on his next yet, but he is reportedly keen to reunite with Ranveer Singh for a large-scale mythological actioner. The director is expected to start working on this film's script by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the advance booking for “Dhurandhar 2” has opened now, and tickets are selling like hot cakes. The film hits cinemas on March 19.
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