Ranveer Singh's "Dhurandhar," the Aditya Dhar-directed spy action thriller, has soared to the No. 1 spot on Netflix in India, despite recent controversies surrounding its streaming release. The film, which stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R. Madhavan, had a successful theatrical run before landing on the OTT platform on January 30, 2026.
However, the Netflix release was immediately met with criticism from viewers who pointed out discrepancies between the theatrical and streaming versions. Many fans complained about muted dialogues, softened "cuss words," and the removal of approximately 9 minutes of footage. Some viewers also reported a noticeably downgraded print quality, with dull visuals and desaturated colors compared to the theatrical release, lacking HDR10+, Dolby Vision, or Dolby Atmos support.
These issues sparked outrage on social media, with disappointed fans demanding that Netflix upload the complete, original version or remove the film entirely. One user wrote, "You certify the film as A, but you have muted/censored words! Like, are we a bunch of 5y/o or what?". Another commented, "The theatrical experience adds a lot to the film and the Netflix version feels noticeably downgraded".
Amidst the backlash, reports emerged that Netflix had taken swift action to address the complaints. According to Times Now, Netflix rolled out an updated version of "Dhurandhar" with a significantly higher bitrate, increasing it from 1.79 mbps to 12.56 mbps. This change aimed to fix the color-grading issues that viewers had pointed out.
Despite these efforts to improve the viewing experience, the issue of the missing footage remains a point of contention. While some reports suggest that Netflix made the edits without the director's consent, others claim that the version submitted by the production team was fully compliant with Netflix's mandates and requirements.
As per a report in NDTV, the theatrical release saw a runtime revision to 3 hours and 28 minutes after makers were asked to mute references to Baloch. The Netflix version is reportedly four minutes shorter due to the removal of anti-smoking PSAs. Also, a scene with Sanjay Dutt's character SP Aslam's Balochi dialogue was removed following a legal complaint.
"Dhurandhar" faced controversy even before its Netflix debut. During the film's promotion at the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa, Ranveer Singh received backlash for mimicking a sacred deva ritual, leading to a formal apology and, later, an FIR for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The film also drew criticism for its portrayal of Lyari, with some residents and commentators deeming it inaccurate and propagandistic. It was also banned in Pakistan and several Middle Eastern countries for its anti-Pakistan theme.
Despite the controversies and criticisms, "Dhurandhar" has achieved commercial success, grossing over ₹1,000 crore worldwide within three weeks of its theatrical release. The film's digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix for a substantial sum, between ₹130–285 crore. The film is available on Netflix in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
With "Dhurandhar 2" slated for release on March 19, 2026, the team will likely be hoping to avoid similar controversies and ensure a smoother transition to streaming platforms.