Why Ranveer Singh took a modest fee for 'Dhurandhar'
What's the story
Ranveer Singh's film Dhurandhar has become one of the biggest box-office hits in recent times. New revelations about the financial structure of the film have now emerged. Instead of demanding a huge upfront fee, Singh apparently took a modest remuneration. You ask why? Co-producer Jyoti Deshpande recently told ET Digital that Singh and director Aditya Dhar opted for a profit-sharing model, betting on the film's success. So, their base fee was lesser than usual.
Financial strategy
'Ranveer came with a smaller fixed fee...': Deshpande
Deshpande revealed that Singh and Dhar chose to participate in the film's profits through backend deals. She explained, "In Dhurandhar, Ranveer came with a smaller fixed fee and a backend deal, and therefore benefited from that arrangement." "The same was true for Aditya, who also came in with a smaller fixed fee and a backend. He ended up making a significant upside along with us. That's how you distribute both the risk and the reward."
Production costs
'On 'Dhurandhar,' we went all in'
Deshpande revealed that the budget for Dhurandhar ended up being almost double what was initially planned. She said, "On Dhurandhar, we went all in. The film ended up being made for almost double the amount we had initially set out to spend." "Of course, we eventually ended up with a two-part film, so it became a journey. In the end, all of us went laughing to the bank."
Franchise development
On why 'Dhurandhar' became a 2-part film
The producer added that Dhurandhar was initially conceived as a standalone film and not a franchise. However, after the first shooting schedule, they realized the budget had already exceeded their plans. The footage from this schedule convinced them that the story could be expanded into two parts. "When we first decided to fund it, making it into two films was not a certainty. We took that call somewhere along the journey."
Box office triumph
Both 'Dhurandhar' films crossed ₹3,000 crore mark globally
The Dhurandhar franchise has become a global sensation, with both films collectively earning over ₹3,000 crore worldwide. The first film was released in theaters on December 5, 2025, while the sequel hit screens on March 19 this year. The sequel is still running in theaters after 76 days. The films star Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R Madhavan, among others.