With Dhurandhar: The Revenge gearing up for its theatrical release on March 19, fans are eagerly awaiting Ranveer Singh’s return to one of his most talked-about roles. However, the sequel’s relatively muted promotional campaign has sparked curiosity and debate online.
The first Dhurandhar emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of 2025 and went on to find massive success on OTT as well. Expectations were naturally high when the teaser for the sequel dropped. But the preview, which largely reused visuals from the closing moments of the first film, left some fans underwhelmed and raised questions about the amount of fresh footage in Dhurandhar 2. Many also wondered why the makers appeared to be holding back on large-scale promotions.
Addressing the chatter, the film’s marketer Varun Gupta recently explained the thinking behind the low-key strategy.
Varun Gupta on avoiding aggressive promotions
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Varun Gupta said the restrained approach was intentional from the very beginning. “Even before the release of the film, we were underplaying things. There were conversations around why promotions weren’t happening at the expected scale,” he said.
He added that not every film needs the same publicity playbook. “People tagged me on social media asking why we weren’t doing what is usually expected — college visits, city tours, endless interviews. But every film can’t follow the same formula. Once you’ve seen the film, you’ll understand what kind of Q&A Ranveer Singh could even do for it,” Gupta explained.
‘Content-first, not gimmick-driven’
Gupta further emphasised that the team deliberately chose not to oversell the film. “If actors aren’t constantly visible on the ground, people assume marketing isn’t happening. Sometimes that approach is needed, sometimes it isn’t. There’s no fixed rule,” he said.
According to him, the campaign was designed to remain dignified and non-gimmicky. “This was a content-first campaign. If viewers like what they see, they’ll watch the film. We didn’t push action blocks, item songs, or patriotism as selling points. The film has all of that, but we chose not to package it that way. We stayed true to what the film is.”
Letting anticipation grow organically
Gupta also pointed out that the film’s strong anticipation is another reason behind the minimal promotions. “Sometimes, the smartest move is not getting in the way of something organic. When a film is already performing well in terms of buzz, overdoing promotions can actually dilute excitement,” he said.
About Dhurandhar 2
Dhurandhar: The Revenge will continue the story of Ranveer Singh’s character, tracing his transformation from Jaskirat Singh Rangi to Hamza Ali Mazari and his rise as the new king of Lyari. The sequel will also delve into the backstory of Akshaye Khanna’s character, Rehman Dakait.
The film is backed by Jio Studios and is slated for a theatrical release on March 19.
