Key facts
- Dhurandhar reportedly crossed Rs 3,100 crore at the box office
- Saif Ali Khan calls for Bollywood to 'be brave'
- Comments made in the context of the film's massive commercial success
Saif Ali Khan has used the extraordinary commercial success of Dhurandhar to make a pointed argument: Bollywood needs to be braver. The film, which crossed Rs 3,100 crore in box-office collections, has become one of the biggest talking points in the industry, and Saif's public reflection adds an intellectual dimension to its commercial triumph.
In his comments, Saif emphasised that the film's performance is not just a box-office milestone but a proof of concept — that Indian audiences are ready for ambitious, unconventional storytelling if the execution is right. The implicit critique is directed at a Bollywood culture that has often retreated to formulaic safety, particularly after a string of big-budget disappointments in recent years.
Dhurandhar's success is especially notable given the ongoing debate about the rise of south Indian films and their impact on Hindi cinema's market share. A blockbuster of this scale from a Bollywood production sends a signal that the industry can still compete when it commits fully to its vision.
Saif has also separately spoken about his film Kartavya, admitting that he felt the ending was flawed and that the villain should have faced greater consequences — a candour that has been widely noted. Taken together, his recent interviews paint the picture of a star willing to critically engage with the industry's challenges and his own work at a high-water moment in his recent career.