Sriram Raghavan says he would never make a film like Dhurandhar despite its success: ‘This is not the only format’
Updated on: Dec 31, 2025 07:26 am IST
Sriram Raghavan, who has made a spy thriller in Agent Vinod, commented on how different Dhurandhar was from his style of storytelling.
Director Sriram Raghavan is taking on the war epic genre for the first time with his upcoming film, Ikkis. Over the years, the filmmaker has established a reputation for telling stories in thrillers and dark spy films. In a day and age when that has become the norm with films like Dhurandhar, Sriram feels he cannot make something like the Aditya Dhar film.
Sriram Raghavan on Dhurandhar
In a recent interview with The Hindu, Sriram was asked to compare Dhurandhar with his spy thriller, Agent Vinod. While praising the former, the director said, “It is a well-made film with terrific performances, but it is not our kind of film. We must understand that we are living in different times. Dhurandhar is one movie. It is doing spectacularly well, and it should. But this is not the only format. If I start following it, it will be the silliest thing to do.”
Dhurandhar has emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, earning over ₹1100 crore worldwide and ₹700 crore in India alone. It is now the 7th-highest-grossing Indian film ever, and the first film of lead actor Ranveer Singh to earn over ₹1000 crore worldwide.
Sriram acknowledged the film’s success, as well as director Aditya Dhar’s craft, but added, “He (Aditya) has a different kind of sensibility and craft, and I love watching his films, but it is not something I would make.”
All about Ikkis
Ikkis is the story of Second Lt Arjun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. The film stars Agastya Nanda as Khetarpal, alongside Dharmendra as his father. The late screen legend will be seen for the last time on the big screen in the film. Also starring Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal, Ikkis releases in theatres on January 1.
