He made Dhurandhar on a modest budget of Rs 250 crore and the film is a big hit
Aditya Dhar’s anti-war epic Dhurandhar is well on its way to becoming a major success — but its journey to release was anything but easy. Dhar endured immense pressure to complete the film on time, and the result is nothing short of a visual and emotional masterpiece.
For months, speculation about the film’s budget has been rampant, with figures as high as `500–600 crore being tossed around. But the truth is far more startling. The actual total budget of Dhurandhar is just `250 crore — and that includes both parts of the film.
Aditya Dhar has once again proved himself a master of epic austerity. His debut film Uri was made for a modest `25 crore and became a blockbuster. With Dhurandhar, he has delivered yet another large-scale spectacle on a controlled budget.
Interestingly, when the idea of Dhurandhar was first pitched to Mukesh Ambani, he dismissed it as “unfilmable.” It was his son, Anant Ambani — a close friend of Dhar — who convinced him to back the project. The rest, as they say, is history.
For nearly two years, Dhar lived and breathed Dhurandhar, spending his days and nights on sets and locations. His wife, Yami Gautam, supported him wholeheartedly, telling him, “Make the film you want to. I will take care of our son.”
But the relentless stress has taken its toll. Aditya Dhar is expected to take a long break once the dust finally settles.
