After creating history at the box office with earnings crossing an unprecedented ₹1,000 crore during its theatrical run, Dhurandhar has now made its much-anticipated debut on Netflix. The Aditya Dhar–directed film, which stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi, continues to dominate conversations—this time for a very different reason. While the film was earlier hailed in theatres for Akshaye Khanna’s menacing antagonist Rehman Dakait, the OTT release has sparked a dramatic shift in audience opinion.
During its theatrical run, a significant section of viewers and social media chatter claimed that Akshaye Khanna had overshadowed Ranveer Singh with his restrained yet chilling performance as the primary antagonist. However, following the Netflix premiere, many viewers revisiting the film at home now believe that Ranveer Singh was, in fact, the film’s strongest pillar.
Social media platforms are currently flooded with divided opinions. One viewer wrote, “Finally watched Dhurandhar. It’s a well-written and well-made movie, though there is too much unnecessary gore. Everyone has acted well, but Ranveer is spectacular! Akshaye Khanna has great screen presence, but I don’t think he overshadowed Ranveer.” Another blunt comment read, “Akshay is not even one per cent of all the hype that was made.”
Yeah they gave him slow motion for every entry to hype him and ppl fell for it 😆
— Pavan (@pavan1kk) January 30, 2026
One particularly strong reaction accused the earlier narrative of being exaggerated. A tweet stated, “Dhurandhar has been watched, and I have a different review for the movie, but the thing that pissed me off most is the ‘Akshaye Khanna overshadowed Ranveer’ PR gimmick. He didn’t—not even one per cent. Smoking in slow motion with a fancy wig isn’t acting. Ranveer ate him whenever they appeared together.”
Several users echoed similar sentiments, criticizing Akshaye’s portrayal as over-the-top or ineffective. One X user said, “I didn’t like his acting at all, nor did I find him menacing. Arjun Rampal, on the other hand, was devil personified.” Another comment read, “Akshaye did overacting in every scene, I feel. Ranveer was brilliant.” Some viewers even pointed out that Ranveer consistently dominated shared screen space, calling his performance layered, intense, and emotionally grounded.
this was literally akshaye khanna in a face off against Ranveer Singh and Sanjay dutt in dhurandhar 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oS3zEssGrp
— daksh. (@mythicbxrn) January 30, 2026
That said, not all viewers were dismissive of Akshaye Khanna’s performance. A portion of the audience continues to strongly defend the actor, arguing that his portrayal was nuanced and impactful. One fan wrote, “Agree that Akshaye didn’t overshadow Ranveer, but he was phenomenal.” Another added, “I knew this would happen after the OTT release. He is the best part of the movie. People watched it multiple times in theatres just for him.”
Some viewers struck a middle ground, praising both actors while acknowledging Ranveer’s edge. One comment read, “Akshay Khanna was really good in his son’s death scene. Though I agree he hasn’t overshadowed Ranveer even a bit—Ranveer stole every scene he was in.” Others still maintained that Akshaye was the superior performer, stating, “I loved Akshaye Khanna’s performance. Ranveer was good, but Khanna was better.”
Released theatrically on December 5, Dhurandhar enjoyed a long and dominant run in cinemas until January before arriving on Netflix. The film was not only a massive commercial success but also a social media phenomenon, generating viral moments through its chart-topping songs, Ranveer Singh’s now-iconic hair flip, and Akshaye Khanna’s slick dance moves.
The film is available to stream in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, significantly widening its reach. It has officially become the highest-earning single-language Hindi film in India, with net collections surpassing ₹1,000 crore. Dhurandhar is also the first installment of a planned two-part franchise, with the sequel scheduled to release on March 19, 2026.
As the OTT audience continues to weigh in, one thing is clear: Dhurandhar remains a film that sparks debate, passion, and strong reactions—long after its theatrical run has ended.