Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has hit theatres with the kind of momentum most Friday releases can only hope for. The film led by Ranveer Singh wasted no time in pulling audiences in and early estimates already suggest a robust start. As per industry tracker Sacnilk the film has collected around Rs 21 crore net on Day 1 setting up a solid foundation for the weekend ahead. Mounted on a dramatic large-scale canvas Dhurandhar arrived with 5930 shows across formats including IMAX 2D. The film’s occupancy steadily climbed through the day starting at 15.49% in the morning rising to 28.24% in the afternoon and eventually touching 35.59% by evening. The upward graph signals healthy word-of-mouth traction. How does this opening compare to Ranveer Singh’s recent releases? Ranveer’s last big-screen outing was Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again a multi-starrer that roared with a Rs 43.5 crore opening and a massive worldwide run of Rs 372 crore. Dhurandhar while not positioned as a franchise film has still delivered a notable first-day figure especially considering its gritty gangster-drama space. As for director Aditya Dhar his last film Uri (2019) may have become a blockbuster in the long run with Rs 341 crore worldwide but it opened with a modest Rs 8.2 crore. With Dhurandhar Dhar seems to have staged one of the strongest openings for his career. What are critics saying about Dhurandhar? The film has sparked a mixed but engaged response from critics. SCREEN’s review noted “To give credit where it is due despite the many many characters Dhurandhar introduces to give us a sense of Lyari’s power crime political and family dynamics the plot is fairly comprehensible.” It further praised the performances:“Khanna taps into his hidden Michael Corleone… Pandor is impressive… and Bedi is a delight as the venal politician Jameel…” The reactions underline that while the film is dense with characters and layers its narrative remains accessible. What’s next for the franchise? The makers have already confirmed that Dhurandhar is only the beginning. The film’s ending teases a direct sequel locked in for Eid March 19 2026. That puts it on a collision course with Yash’s highly awaited Toxic setting up one of next year’s biggest box-office face-offs. As Dhurandhar charges forward all eyes now rest on its weekend run numbers that could define how big this franchise grows from here.