The audience was still riding high on the success of Dhurandhar when its sequel, Dhurandhar 2, arrived and immediately took the box office by storm. The film not only outperformed its predecessor but also set a new benchmark for Indian cinema.

The sequel has become the first Bollywood film to cross Rs 1000 crore net in India. Globally, it has surged past Rs 1300 crore, cementing its position among the biggest commercial successes in the industry.

While several actors and filmmakers from the South Indian film industry have publicly appreciated the film’s performance, social media users have been questioning the relative silence from major names in the Hindi film fraternity.

Amid this debate, director Kunal Kohli has weighed in on how industry expectations initially underestimated the film’s staying power.

‘People Said It Would Drop on Monday’: Kunal Kohli on Industry Predictions

Speaking to Screen, Kohli revealed that many in the industry believed the film would lose momentum after its opening weekend.

“Even when the industry doesn’t support a film, the film still works. Nobody supported Dhurandhar. The biggest directors I spoke to said, ‘Monday ko baith jayegi.’ But it kept running,” he said.

He also drew comparisons with Border 2, starring Sunny Deol and directed by Anurag Singh, noting that it too faced early scepticism despite eventually emerging as a blockbuster with over Rs 300 crore in earnings.

Revisiting ‘Hum Tum’ and Industry Attitudes

Reflecting on his earlier career, Kohli said that industry perceptions have remained largely unchanged since the release of Hum Tum.

He recalled producer Aditya Chopra advising him to skip early preview screenings, anticipating negative reactions from industry insiders.

However, Kohli attended the screening anyway and was disheartened by the response.

“I went for it, and the people there didn’t like the film. I was so depressed I called Adi,” he said, adding that most industry insiders often fail to connect with certain kinds of films.

The Turning Point: Rakesh Roshan’s Unexpected Call

Despite early mixed reactions, Hum Tum went on to become a major commercial success.

Kohli recalled a pivotal moment when veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan called him personally to congratulate him after reports showed strong occupancy in Indore on a Monday afternoon.

“It was houseful even on Monday. That’s when I realised the film had truly broken through,” Kohli shared.

He also noted Roshan’s gesture was especially meaningful given the filmmaker’s own experiences with underperforming projects like Mujhse Dosti Karoge!.

‘Very Little Scratch My Back Culture’: Kohli on Industry Dynamics

Kohli concluded by questioning whether industry praise is always genuine, suggesting that support within the film fraternity is often selective and strategic.

“There’s very little scratch my back. If you let someone scratch your back, they’d probably stab you in the back,” he remarked, underscoring his critical view of Bollywood’s internal dynamics.