Actor Saif Ali Khan believes Bollywood has entered a new phase following the massive success of the Dhurandhar franchise. According to the actor, the spy series has not only dominated the box office but has also changed the way audiences perceive mainstream commercial cinema, pushing filmmakers to rethink familiar storytelling formulas.
In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Saif reflected on how the phenomenal response to Dhurandhar and its sequel has created a noticeable shift within the industry. He said filmmakers now have a choice to either adapt to changing audience preferences or continue following conventional approaches.
Discussing the franchise's remarkable commercial success, Saif said, "Just the difference between… I'll go back to the popularity and the commercial success of something like Dhurandhar, compared to other movies. Why is that gap so huge?" He suggested that the scale of the franchise's success reflects a significant change in what audiences expect from big-screen entertainers.
Saif Ali Khan: “There's a time before Dhurandhar and after”
During the interview, Saif went on to describe the franchise as a defining moment for Hindi cinema. "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, indicating that filmmakers must evolve with the industry's changing landscape rather than relying on tried-and-tested formulas.
The actor's remarks come at a time when the Dhurandhar franchise has emerged as one of the biggest success stories in modern Indian cinema. The first film, released in December 2025, and its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, released in March 2026, together reportedly grossed over Rs 3,100 crore worldwide. The second installment alone contributed nearly half of Bollywood's domestic box office revenue during the first half of 2026, underlining its unprecedented impact.
Saif praises 'Shararat' for changing how songs are used in films
Apart from its storytelling and scale, Saif also highlighted the franchise's approach to music, particularly the song ‘Shararat,’ featuring Ayesha Khan and Krystle D'Souza. Instead of treating it as a conventional "item song," he appreciated how the performance naturally blended into the film's narrative through a wedding sequence. "Something as revolutionary as that... if you just treat it as a song and have these two girls performing as you would in a wedding, it doesn't jar the eyes at all," he said.
On the work front, Saif Ali Khan was last seen in Netflix's Kartavya. He will next appear in Hum Hindustani and Priyadarshan's Haiwaan, which reunites him with Akshay Kumar after nearly two decades.
More Pages: Dhurandhar Box Office Collection , Dhurandhar Movie Review
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