Ram Gopal Varma Calls Dhurandhar 2 ‘A Horror’ for Filmmakers in Scathing New Review
A day after the blockbuster release of Dhurandhar: The Revenge (Dhurandhar 2), filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma shared a strikingly candid and strongly worded review of the film on social media, describing it as a “horror”—not for audiences, but for filmmakers clinging to outdated, formulaic, and over-the-top cinematic techniques.
A New Kind of Horror
Opening his statement, Varma wrote:
“The @Dhurandhar2 is a HORROR. It is a horror for all filmmakers who built their careers and their fortunes on dumbed down, over the top cinema… full of LOUDNESS and MASALA which will be now soon on a ventilator struggling for breath.”
Varma praised the film for presenting a fresh type of protagonist—flawed, vulnerable, and action-driven rather than glorified through exaggerated heroism.
“In #Dhurandhar2, @RanveerOfficial killed all those heroes who never bleed, never feel pain, and then over the dead bodies of those outdated heroes, he gave birth to a true real hero, flawed yet dangerous and unpredictable. His heroism comes from his actions instead of being thrusted upon the heads with ear-drum shattering music,” Varma wrote.
He emphasized that traditional “godly heroes” will now appear ridiculous, and their fans will feel exposed in the face of Dhurandhar 2’s grounded storytelling.
Redefining Action in Indian Cinema
Varma also critiqued the unrealistic action sequences common in many films today:
“After the audience saw action that actually hurts, that actually bleeds, the flying goon brigade will suddenly feel cheap, fake, and embarrassingly ridiculous. The filmmakers who still swear by wires and cranes to fake uplift the heroes will now wake up shivering in cold sweat.”
He praised Dhurandhar 2 for delivering grounded, intense, and realistic action that challenges traditional cinematic norms, marking a shift in audience expectations.
Style vs. Substance
Varma criticized directors who prioritize style over character depth, highlighting the film’s emphasis on psychological complexity:
“It will make the pan India directors tremble in their chairs, the ones who still believe characters are created by hairdos, costumes, photo-shopped six-packs, and designer clothes instead of intrinsic psychological depth.”
He lauded the intelligence-driven strength of the protagonist, contrasting it with the superficial “hair and costume school of cinema.”
A Verdict on an Era of Filmmaking
Calling Dhurandhar 2 more than a movie, Varma described it as a decisive judgment on a certain style of filmmaking:
“With Dhurandhar 2 @AdityaDharFilms cut off the head of that kind of cinema, the one that insulted the intelligence of the audience, replaced stories with bloated visuals, turned heroes into gods and audiences into sheep.”
He even referenced the film’s box office success as evidence that the audience now favors substance over spectacle:
“The collections of #Dhurandhar2 are in the process of burying all those earlier makers’ beliefs in a grave so deep that even their ghosts can’t come out.”
A Warning for Future Filmmakers
Varma concluded his note with a cautionary message for filmmakers currently in production or about to begin new projects:
“If the makers of those kinds of films… don’t go back to their drawing boards and exorcise themselves by watching #Dhurandhar2 multiple times, even GOD can’t save their SPIRITS. But the problem is, even if they intend to do that, they might have tonnes of money, but where will they get the brain of @AdityaDharFilms?”
Conclusion
RGV’s review positions Dhurandhar 2 as a transformative moment for Indian cinema, challenging traditional tropes of larger-than-life heroes, formula-driven storytelling, and unrealistic action. By blending psychological depth, grounded action, and innovative storytelling, the film is being hailed as a game-changer—not only by audiences but also by critics and industry veterans alike.
