‘Ikkis’ director Sriram Raghavan says he would never make a movie like ‘Dhurandhar’; filmmaker adds, ‘It is not our kind of film’ |

Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan expressed his admiration for the box office hit ‘Dhurandhar’ by Aditya Dhar, but firmly stated that he would never venture into a similar filmmaking territory. He appreciates the film’s success and compelling performances; however, he feels that its style does not resonate with his artistic vision or the evolving landscape of thriller cinema.

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ has been raking in big numbers at the box office. The Ranveer Singh-led movie has received a lot of appreciation and love from all quarters. Amidst the massive buzz around the espionage thriller, Sriram Raghavan, whose next film, ‘Ikkis’, is set to release this week, shared that he would never make a film like the Aditya Dhar directorial. Here’s what he said.

Sriram Raghavan shares his take on ‘Dhurandhar’

In an interview with The Hindu, Sriram Raghavan was asked about how opposite ‘Dhurandhar’ is to the movie he directed, ‘Agent Vinod’. To which Sriram Raghavan 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.”

The filmmaker shared that the old James Bond movies, which starred Sean Connery and Roger Moore, used to be fun; however, the current ones have started to get serious. He added, “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.”In the same interview, Sriram Raghavan shared that he and Aditya Dhar shared a National Award for their films ‘Andhadhun’ and ‘Uri’, respectively.The director shared, “He (Aditya) has a different kind of sensibility and craft, and I love watching his films, but it is not something I would make.”

More about ‘Dhurandhar’

Starring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun, the film was released in theaters on December 5, 2025. The movie has raked in Rs 709.65 crore in India, as of now, according to the Sacnilk report. Part two of the movie will release on March 19, 2026.

More about ‘Ikkis’

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the movie is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who laid down his life during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. He was honored with the Paramvir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award, posthumously. Agastya Nanda stars as Arjun Khetarpal. The movie also features Dharmendra (his last screen appearance) and Jaideep Ahlawat in pivotal roles. It is set to release on January 1, 2026.