In a industry where the box office is often seen as the ultimate validator, filmmaker Kunal Kohli has pulled back the curtain on the internal skepticism that plagues even the biggest blockbusters. During a recent interview with Screen, the Hum Tum director shared a revealing anecdote about the mega-hit Dhurandhar, exposing a disconnect between industry “experts” and the actual pulse of the audience.
According to Kohli, while Dhurandhar was shattering records and capturing the public’s imagination, the sentiment within the inner circles of Bollywood was far less optimistic. Kohli revealed that several high-profile directors were convinced the film’s success was a fluke that would burn out within days.
“Even when the industry doesn’t support
a film, the film still works,” Kohli remarked. “Nobody supported Dhurandhar. The biggest directors I spoke to on the phone told me, ‘Monday ko baith jayegi film’. Instead, the collections only grew.”
This dismissive attitude, Kohli suggests, is a recurring theme in the Hindi film industry, where established players often fail to predict what will truly resonate with the masses.
Kohli didn’t stop at Dhurandhar. He drew parallels to other recent successes, such as Anurag Singh’s Border 2. Despite the film crossing the ₹300 crore mark, Kohli noted that critics within the industry were quick to highlight a slight dip in its second-week numbers rather than celebrating its blockbuster status.
“What are you saying? That’s a blockbuster. End of discussion,” he said, clearly frustrated by the lack of internal support for successful projects.
The director also took a trip down memory lane, recalling how his own cult classic, Hum Tum (2004), was met with similar negativity. He shared how producer Aditya Chopra had actually advised him not to attend the preview screening of the film.
“Adi told me not to go because the industry people going for it wouldn’t ‘get’ the film,” Kohli shared.
He attended anyway, only to find the industry crowd unimpressed—a sharp contrast to the audience, who eventually turned the film into a career-defining hit for both Kohli and lead actor Saif Ali Khan.
Kohli’s critique paints a picture of a competitive and often cynical environment. He estimated that “99% of the people in the industry don’t want you to succeed,” noting that very few veterans, like Rakesh Roshan, take the time to personally congratulate and support younger filmmakers.
As Dhurandhar 2 continues its record-breaking run—reportedly crossing ₹1000 crore net in India—Kohli’s comments serve as a reminder that in the world of cinema, the only opinion that truly matters is that of the person buying the ticket, not the person in the director’s chair next door. To know such
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