Release Date | Cast | Bade Sahab Revealed | First Reviews | Fan Reactions | Box Office | Controversies
You remember where you were when Hamza Ali Mazari crossed the Torkham border. You remember the slow burn of Part 1, the violence that felt uncomfortably real, and that final shot where Ranveer Singh stares at a diary with one name crossed out and another one waiting. That name was Bade Sahab. And now, on March 19, 2026, the chase ends.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge is not just a sequel. It is the conclusion of a duology that Aditya Dhar planned as a single film before the sheer weight of the material forced a split. According to Wikipedia, both parts were shot together, back to back, between July 2024 and October 2025. The original plan was to release one film, but the large amount of footage, scale, and narrative complexity led the filmmakers to split it into two parts during post-production. This is not a hastily assembled follow-up riding on the coattails of Part 1. It is the second half of one massive, unbroken story.
And if the first reactions from people who watched the paid previews on March 18 are anything to go by, Bollywood may never be the same again.
What Happened in Part 1 and Why It Matters for The Revenge
Before diving into Part 2, it helps to remember what made the first film tick. According to Wikipedia’s Dhurandhar article, the film follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates Karachi’s criminal syndicates and political power structures in Pakistan in an effort to dismantle a terror network targeting India. Jaskirat Singh Rangi, played by Ranveer Singh, crosses into Pakistan as Hamza Ali Mazari and slowly works his way into the dangerous gang politics of Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood.
The film drew loose inspiration from some of the most consequential events in recent South Asian history. According to Wikipedia, this includes the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Rehman Dakait, played by Akshaye Khanna, served as the chief antagonist. Hamza eventually eliminates him. But the real puppet master, Bade Sahab, the shadowy figure whose name kept appearing in whispered conversations between ISI operatives and underworld gangsters, remained completely off screen.
The end credits, however, told a different story. According to Sacnilk, eagle-eyed fans who stayed through the rolling end credits spotted a massive spoiler: the credits reportedly listed the character of Dawood Ibrahim, played by actor Danish Iqbal. The stage was set.
According to Wikipedia, Dhurandhar grossed over Rs 1,000 crore worldwide within three weeks of release, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film in India and the highest-grossing A-rated Indian film at that point in time. The pressure on Part 2 was extraordinary.
Who is Bade Sahab in Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge
This was the question that consumed Bollywood social media for three months.
When the first film ended with Hamza staring at the name Bade Sahab on his hit list, rumour mills immediately started spinning. According to Republic World, Emraan Hashmi’s name came up early and gained traction, while Letterboxd had created a cast page that deepened the speculation. According to BollywoodShaadis, a post claiming Salman Khan was confirmed as Bade Sahab also went viral, complete with fabricated images, but fact checks confirmed the photos were fake and AI-generated.
The truth, as it turned out, was far more interesting than any of those guesses.
According to Filmibeat, Danish Iqbal is playing the role of Bade Sahab, who is Dawood Ibrahim in Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Not a star cameo. Not a calculated casting stunt. Just a talented, intense actor who was already credited in the end titles of Part 1 and was hiding in plain sight the whole time.
Aditya Dhar made a deliberate choice here. According to Sacnilk, while fans were wildly guessing names of Bollywood superstars for a potential cameo, it appears Aditya Dhar went for a gritty, realistic casting choice with Danish Iqbal, a talented actor known for his intensity, rather than a distraction cameo. It allows the character to breathe without the weight of a recognisable celebrity persona attached to it.
According to India.com, the most popular theory among fans suggests Bade Sahab mirrors Dawood Ibrahim, the Indian gangster and global terrorist who masterminded the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The same outlet notes that director Aditya Dhar and writer and research consultant Aditya Raj Kaul meticulously developed the story around a terror syndicate, intelligence, and high-ranking officials, with detailed research ensuring authenticity while unmasking the inner workings of shadow networks.
Full Cast of Dhurandhar: The Revenge
The returning ensemble holds together the emotional continuity of the duology while the new additions raise the stakes considerably. According to Wikipedia, the confirmed cast is as follows:
Ranveer Singh returns as Hamza Ali Mazari, also known as Jaskirat Singh Rangi of the Punjab Regiment. Based on early reviews, his performance in Part 2 is being called the best of his career by multiple critics.
R. Madhavan returns as Ajay Sanyal, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, a character widely understood to be inspired by Ajit Doval.
Sanjay Dutt returns as SP Chaudhary Aslam of the Lyari Task Force, Sindh Police.
Arjun Rampal returns as Major Iqbal of the ISI, a character based on both Ilyas Kashmiri and the real Major Iqbal who was named in the 26/11 investigation.
Sara Arjun returns as Yalina Jamali, Hamza’s wife. The trailer showed Yalina apparently pointing a gun at Hamza, a complete reversal from the first film. The reasons behind this shift remain one of the most debated narrative questions ahead of release.
Rakesh Bedi returns as Jameel Jamali, a senior politician of the PAP and a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, based on Nabil Gabol.
Danish Pandor returns as Uzair Baloch, the gang leader.
Gaurav Gera returns as Mohammed Aalam, the juice shop owner who serves as Hamza’s handler.
According to Filmibeat, new additions to the ensemble include Raj Zutshi, Bhasha Sumbli, Saumya Tandon, and Yami Gautam in a reported cameo role. According to India.com, a screenshot circulating on X hints that Yami Gautam will play a doctor, with the scene reportedly connected to a hospital sequence that may introduce a major turning point in the story.
The film also features Sanjay Mehandiratta as Aquib Ali Zarwari, President of Pakistan and leader of the PAP, based on Asif Ali Zardari, and Mashhoor Amrohi as Nawab Shafiq, based on Nawaz Sharif.
Runtime, Certificate and What Got Cut
According to Wikipedia, the film received an A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification for strong violence, with a finalised runtime of 229 minutes after some violent visuals and profanities were censored. That works out to 3 hours and 49 minutes, approximately 15 minutes longer than Part 1.
According to India TV News, out of 21 significant points reviewed by the CBFC, four adjustments were requested. These alterations are all connected to extremely violent incidents, including scenes described as smashing the eye, beheading and kicking, hitting the head with a cement block, and hitting the head with a hammer.
There is a detail here that has upset a section of the audience. Multiple viewers who caught the paid previews reported that the audio is muted in various places throughout the film due to CBFC requirements, which they found disruptive to the experience. The question of whether Indian audiences are receiving a compromised version of the film compared to their counterparts in North America or Europe has opened a genuine debate online.
First Reviews: What Critics and Trade Are Saying
The paid preview shows on March 18 generated a wave of reactions that moved quickly across every platform.
According to Oneindia, trade analyst Taran Adarsh gave the film a one-word review: MASTERPIECE, with a rating of 4.5 stars. He called it cinema at its best, adding that it delivers on every front including scale, drama, emotions, action, performances and impact.
According to Republic World, Adarsh further stated that Ranveer Singh delivers a towering act, portraying strength, intensity and vulnerability with equal finesse, calling him the backbone, the soul and the lifeline of the sequel, and adding it is easily the best performance of his career.
According to The Week, Adarsh described the film as tightly written, fast-paced and loaded with goosebumps-inducing moments, with a climax that is explosive, emotional and immensely satisfying.
Director Ram Gopal Varma, who is not known for restraint when it comes to either praise or criticism, watched the film before release and shared a reaction that immediately went viral. According to Deccan Chronicle, RGV declared that all the greatest films made so far, from Mughal-e-Azam to Sholay, would look like TV serials compared to Aditya Dhar’s latest work, calling it the birth of a new cinematic order. According to Free Press Journal, Varma urged even Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan to drop everything they are doing and catch Dhurandhar 2 first day first show.
According to Filmibeat, one social media reviewer who attended a paid preview gave the film 4.5 stars and wrote that even though the film runs close to 4 hours it never feels boring, that the screenplay is outstanding, the direction is mind-blowing, the action is super intense and violent, and that the music hits hard and elevates the film throughout. The same reviewer wrote that the second half moves toward a mind-blowing pre-climax with multiple story layers, suspense and major revelations, and described the climax as totally goosebumps.
According to News24Online, trade analyst Taran Adarsh, speaking to PTI, compared the craze around the film to Sholay and Baahubali 2, calling it a toofan, a tsunami, and adding that all records will be shattered.
Box Office Before Release: The Numbers Are Staggering
Before a single paying ticket was torn in a multiplex on release day, Dhurandhar: The Revenge had already done something no other Bollywood film had done before.
According to JustWebSeries, the film crossed Rs 150 crore in advance bookings worldwide with over 17 lakh tickets sold, while total opening weekend pre-sales including block bookings were estimated to touch Rs 200 crore globally. According to India TV News, advance collections from the paid previews alone stood at Rs 42.71 crore, which is higher than the entire opening day collection of the original Dhurandhar, which was Rs 33.60 crore.
According to Sacnilk, Dhurandhar 2 shows the strongest domestic premiere momentum for a Hindi-origin film, pacing ahead of Pushpa 2 and KGF 2 within India. While Baahubali 2 continues to hold the all-time North American premiere record at USD 4.3 million, Dhurandhar 2 crossed the Rs 30 crore gross mark in domestic paid previews and was eyeing even larger numbers.
According to Oneindia, early projections have the film on a path to become the first Hindi film to cross Rs 1,000 crore net in India and Rs 2,000 crore worldwide gross, which would put it in a category of its own.
A Unique Angle Nobody Is Talking About: The Realistic Casting Philosophy
Something that has largely gone unnoticed in the mainstream coverage is a deliberate philosophy that runs through both Dhurandhar films: the choice to cast relatively unknown actors in the roles based on real historical figures, while reserving the recognisable stars for the fictional operatives.
According to Wikipedia, the character inspired by Asif Ali Zardari is played by Sanjay Mehandiratta, the character inspired by Nawaz Sharif is played by Mashhoor Amrohi, and the character inspired by Nabil Gabol is played by Rakesh Bedi. Dawood Ibrahim is played by Danish Iqbal. Meanwhile, the fictional IB director Ajay Sanyal is played by R. Madhavan, and the fictional spy at the centre of the story is played by Ranveer Singh.
This is a sophisticated choice. According to Sacnilk, Aditya Dhar went for a gritty, realistic casting approach with unknown actors for real-world figures rather than a distraction cameo. When you see Danish Iqbal as Dawood Ibrahim, you see the character. You do not see a famous face playing a role. The performances land with greater weight because of it.
Aditya Dhar appears to understand something that many directors miss: the real figures in a historical thriller are best served by actors who disappear into them, while the fictional constructs need recognisable faces to anchor the audience’s identification.
The Social Media Battlefield: Fan Wars, Fake Posters and the Propaganda Debate
The online conversation around Dhurandhar: The Revenge was not entirely celebratory. It was, at times, a full-scale information war.
The Fake Reviews Problem
About a week before release, alleged first reviews began circulating on social media claiming the film was a masterpiece and other effusive things. A significant number of fans immediately questioned their authenticity, pointing out that the film had not yet received CBFC certification when some of these reviews started appearing. The fake-reviews debate itself became a trending topic. The irony is that the actual first reviews, once they started coming in from legitimate paid preview screenings, were just as enthusiastic as the fabricated ones.
The Sikh Smoking Controversy That Wasn’t
According to RealShePower, the controversy ignited when a poster allegedly for a song titled Pralay began circulating on X, depicting Ranveer Singh’s character Jaskirat Singh Rangi holding a cigarette while wearing a turban. According to News26Online, Ranveer Singh’s team dismissed the claims and confirmed that the photo going viral on social media was AI-generated.
According to RealShePower, fans pointed out multiple inconsistencies: there is no song titled Pralay in the Dhurandhar 2 soundtrack, which features tracks like Aari Aari and Ez-Ez, and the viral poster carried the Sa Re Ga Ma logo whereas the official music rights for Dhurandhar 2 belong to T-Series. Pralay is actually the title of a completely different upcoming Ranveer Singh film.
According to India TV News, a legal notice was still sent to the CBFC and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by social activist Vicky Thomas Singh, demanding the immediate removal of all allegedly blasphemous content and a public apology to the Sikh community. The notice argued that displaying a Sikh wearing a Dastaar while holding a cigarette is a blatant misrepresentation of Sikh identity and hurts the sentiments of Sikhs worldwide.
The Uri Connection Fans Cannot Stop Talking About
According to India.com, fans have noticed that a character named Jaskirat Singh Rangi was mentioned in Aditya Dhar’s previous film Uri: The Surgical Strike as a martyred husband, and Ranveer Singh’s character in Dhurandhar carries the same name. Reports also hint at a possible cameo by Vicky Kaushal, fuelling speculation about a connected cinematic universe across Aditya Dhar’s films. No official confirmation has come from the filmmakers on this.
The Propaganda Question
Perhaps the most substantive debate is also the most uncomfortable one for fans who do not want their enthusiasm complicated by political context. According to Wikipedia, the first Dhurandhar attracted controversy for its blending of fictional elements with real historical events, with some commentators describing it as propagandistic. Supporters push back by pointing out that Bollywood has always engaged in exactly this kind of heightened patriotic storytelling, from Border to Gadar to Uri: The Surgical Strike, and that framing commercial entertainment as propaganda flattens a complex creative tradition.
The Post Credits Scene and the Dhurandhar 3 Question
According to The Week, Aditya Dhar himself explicitly asked audiences not to leave their seats until the credits have stopped rolling. According to News24Online, a close source from B62 Studios revealed that JioStudios had reportedly asked Aditya Dhar to drop a hint about Dhurandhar 3 in the end credits and set up a cinematic universe, but that Aditya Dhar politely declined the idea. Fans, however, have continued to circulate a viral image with the title Mayhem and a listed release date of June 4, 2026. Whether it is a real teaser or well-executed fan fiction remains unconfirmed.
What Makes Dhurandhar: The Revenge Different From Part 1
According to Wikipedia, unlike the first part, the sequel will release in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada languages, following massive fan demand. According to News24Online, the makers confirmed the decision by stating that South distributors and exhibitors consistently flagged strong audience demand for dubbed versions, with fans actively calling for the film to be made available in regional languages from day one.
According to Filmibeat, Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups, starring Yash, was earlier expected to clash with the sequel at the box office but was shifted to a June 2026 date, giving Dhurandhar: The Revenge a completely clear theatrical run.
According to Wikipedia, additional filming for Part 2 also took place in January and February 2026, on top of the principal photography that ran between July 2024 and October 2025.
Streaming and Satellite Rights
According to Wikipedia, the post-theatrical digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by JioHotstar for Rs 150 crore, replacing Netflix, which had held the rights for the previous part. The satellite rights were acquired by Star Gold for Rs 50 crore. The music rights were acquired by T-Series for Rs 27 crore, replacing Saregama. The first single titled Aari Aari was released on March 12, 2026.
Final Word
Dhurandhar: The Revenge arrives carrying the weight of one of the biggest successes in Bollywood history and the expectations of an audience that was told, three months ago, that the real story was just beginning. The question of who Bade Sahab is has been answered. The question of whether Hamza survives the mission, whether Yalina’s apparent betrayal is what it looks like, and what Aditya Dhar has hidden in that post-credits sequence, has not.
According to Republic World, Taran Adarsh described it as a rare sequel that outshines its predecessor by a wide margin. According to Deccan Chronicle, Ram Gopal Varma declared it the birth of a new cinematic order. A fan in the paid preview audience used three words: totally, goosebumps.
Whether Dhurandhar: The Revenge delivers on all of that or buckles under the pressure, the conversation it has sparked before a single frame has reached the general public is itself a story about where Bollywood is right now. A Hindi film with a 229-minute runtime, an adults-only certificate, a story drawn from the darkest chapters of recent South Asian history, and an advance booking number that rivals the biggest pan-Indian spectacles ever made.
The theatre is booked. Hamza is waiting.
