R Madhavan Recalls Rang De Basanti Déjà Vu As Dhurandhar Turns Into A Blockbuster Despite Early Doubts
As Dhurandhar breaks expectations, R Madhavan remembers critics writing it off—much like Rang De Basanti—before audiences proved them wrong, turning skepticism into stunning triumph.
When Dhurandhar hit theatres, audiences expected a strong opening — but few imagined it would erupt into one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. While trade analysts predicted a sizeable debut despite its lengthy runtime and steep ticket prices, actor R Madhavan had sensed its fortune long before the chatter began. For him, the film’s success felt inevitable.
Released on December 5 to a mixed wave of initial reactions, Dhurandhar reminded Madhavan of a journey he had lived through nearly two decades ago. The uncertainty, the skepticism, the early dismissals — it all echoed Rang De Basanti, a film that weathered doubt only to soar, winning a National Award and representing India at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Madhavan on critics
Madhavan, who appears as Ajay Sanyal in Dhurandhar, said he has learned to remember those who rush to call a film a failure before it even finds its audience.
“I note down people who call it ‘the end.’ Some critics genuinely review a film—they’re either very new or very seasoned and understand what reviewing means. But there are others who, on the day of release or even before it, use words like ‘disaster’ in their headline. That reduces their relevance for us. As actors, we dream of moments like this—when people dismiss a film at first and are then shocked by its success,” he told Pooja Talwar.
Madhavan recalls Rang De Basanti’s release
Recalling the tense days around Rang De Basanti’s release, Madhavan shared how distributors backed out after early screenings, calling the film “too long” and doubting its appeal. The atmosphere was grim.
“I remember when Rang De Basanti was about to release, several distributors backed out. After the first show, they said, ‘This film is too long, not our kind of movie, we can’t carry this.’ Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra was sitting near the TV, his head between his knees, in Delhi. He said, ‘After this, I’ll have to go back to my village. I don’t understand anything beyond this—I can’t make a better film.’ He was distraught. Aamir, Ronnie Screwvala—we were all in the same room.”
He added, “Seeing Rakeysh like that scared me. Meri phat gayi thi, thinking—‘What just happened? This was supposed to be a great film.’ But Aamir and Ronnie were confident. They kept motivating him, and Ronnie said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m behind you.’ And then the film exploded—not just financially but in terms of impact.”
That experience shaped Madhavan’s belief in Dhurandhar, a film that unapologetically lays bare Pakistan’s covert operations against India and doesn’t flinch from depicting graphic brutality.
“So when a similar situation happened with Dhurandhar, I had already seen it before.”
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