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Ikkis director Sriram Raghavan says he will never make a film like Dhurandhar: ‘Will be the silliest thing to do’
Sriram Raghavan was asked to compare Dhurandhar with his own spy thriller, Agent Vinod. While he praised the film, he also said ‘it is not our kind of film’.
Director Sriram Raghavan, the mind behind films like Agent Vinod and Merry Christmas, recently shared some candid thoughts on Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar. In a conversation with The Hindu, the filmmaker noted that while Dhurandhar is undoubtedly a good film with terrific performances, it simply isn’t the kind of story he feels driven to tell.
During the interview, Sriram was asked to compare the massive hit with his own spy thriller, Agent Vinod. While he was quick to praise the film's success, he remained firm about his own creative identity. He explained, “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.”
The respect between the two directors clearly goes back a long way. “Aditya and I shared the National Award stage when he made Uri, and I had Andhadhun," Sriram recalled. "He has a different kind of sensibility and craft, and I love watching his films, but it is not something I would make."
The film they are discussing has certainly earned its place in history. Dhurandhar has emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, raking in over ₹1100 crore worldwide and ₹700 crore in India alone. It now stands as the 7th-highest-grossing Indian film of all time, marking a massive personal milestone as the first film of lead actor Ranveer Singh to cross the ₹1000 crore mark globally.
Even Karan Johar found himself reflecting on his own career after seeing it. Speaking at a recent event, Karan admitted the film left him feeling a bit humbled: “I was like, blown away by Dhurandhar. It makes you feel like, ‘Oh my craft is limited compared to this.’ Oh my god, look at the use of background music. Whatever anyone else feels, it is entirely their opinion, and I respect everyone’s opinions. What I loved about Dhurandhar was that I didn’t feel that the director was self-aware. I felt like he wasn’t trying to show off his craft, and yet he was seamlessly telling you the story."
Looking ahead, Sriram is preparing to tell a very different kind of story with Ikkis. The film follows the life of Second Lt. Arun Khetarpal, the youngest person ever to be honored with the Param Vir Chakra. Starring Agastya Nanda as Khetarpal, the movie also features the legendary Dharmendra as his father. In a poignant moment for cinema lovers, this will be the late screen icon's final appearance on the big screen. Supported by Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal, Ikkis is set to arrive in theaters on January 1.
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