‘Dhurandhar could run because you walked ’: Aditya Dhar tells Ram Gopal Varma, credits him for taking risks

Dhurandhar director Aditya Dhar said he was inspired by the films of Ram Gopal Varma, adding how he took risks at a time when there were no ‘safety nets’.

Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, is proving to be unstoppable at the box office. The spy thriller directed by Aditya Dhar was released in theatres on December 5. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma showered praise on the film a few days ago and called it a ‘quantum leap’ in Indian cinema. Now, Aditya has credited Ram Gopal Varma for inspiring him with his films, and taking risks when ‘it was the hardest.’

Aditya Dhar has praised Ram Gopal Varma for taking risks and creating a legacy with his films.

What RGV said

RGV took to his X account on Sunday and reacted to a post stating that several directors, ranging from SS Rajamouli to Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Aditya Dhar, have revealed that they were influenced by his films. RGV created gritty and powerful action dramas, including Satya, Siva, Company, and Sarkar.

In the caption, RGV wrote, “This reminds me of a female model who became immensely popular in a soap commercial .. The owner of the brand asked his board. “Ok, we made the model popular, but what about the soap?” Likewise it sounds nice that i INSPIRED all these great directors to become GREAT , but when will me , the INSPIRER become GREAT ?"

Aditya replied to this post, and wrote, “Ramu sir, you took the risks when it was the hardest!! At a time when there were no templates, no safety nets and no guarantee that things would work. Dhurandhar could run because you walked first sir. Some paths don’t end with applause. They end in creating a legacy!”

Earlier, Aditya had shared that he came to Mumbai with the dream of working with him one day. “I came to Mumbai years ago carrying one suitcase, one dream, and an unreasonable belief that I would one day work under Ram Gopal Verma. That never happened. But somewhere along the way, without knowing it, I worked inside your cinema. Your films didn’t teach me how to make movies — they taught me how to think dangerously,” he said.

He also called RGV as one of his favourite directors, and added, “You were one of my favourite directors who made Indian cinema feel fearless, impolite, and alive. If Dhurandhar has even a fraction of that DNA, it’s because your films whispered (sometimes screamed) in my head while I was writing and directing it.”

About Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar follows the story of an Indian spy named Hamza, who infiltrates Pakistan deeply to join Rehman Dakait's gang. The film is inspired by real-life events, ranging from the 2001 Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, offering audiences an insight into the India-Pakistan conflict. It also stars Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi in pivotal roles. The second part will be released in theatres on March 19. 2026.