In 2025, Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’ gave Bollywood the much-needed hit after a very long time. On the one hand, its box office performance broke records; on the other, the violence in the movie didn’t sit well with a few critics, and Anupama Chopra was one of them. As she shared her review of the movie, it sparked an online debate. Fans and members of the film fraternity came out in support of the movie, and one of the strongest reactions came from veteran actor Paresh Rawal. However, looking back, Paresh Rawal now regrets taking a social media dig at Anupama Chopra and admits that he “should not have done it.” Though he still stands by his disagreement with her on the review, he feels his reaction was uncalled for.
Paresh Rawal regrets taking a dig at Anupama Chopra over her ‘Dhurandhar’ review
When Anupama Chopra, in her review of ‘Dhurandhar,’ called out the movie for hyper-masculinity and aggressive nationalism, it led to a huge debate. Reacting to her review, back in 2025, Paresh Rawal remarked, “Aren’t you tired of being Miss Irrelevant?” His words went viral in no time, and it became the topic of discussion in the industry circle.Now, looking back at the controversy, Paresh Rawal, in his latest interview with Vickey Lalwani, says, “I should not have done it.”As he explains the matter further, he admits disagreement with her review but believes his post was “unwanted.” He argues that one should offer constructive criticism and take into account several factors before judging a movie.Drawing from his years in theatre and cinema, Rawal says a reviewer watches only the finished product and may not know the circumstances behind a performance or the creative choices made during filming. “You came and saw it. It’s an audiovisual medium. What was the actor’s mood that day? How did he perform? There are many reasons. You didn’t have time to go into it,” he said.Maintaining his stance that ‘Dhurandhar’ was a good movie, the ‘Oh My God’ actor adds that everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, he stresses that criticism should be constructive rather than dismissive.“I felt ‘Dhurandhar’ is a good film. Whether people like it or not is their choice, but criticism should be constructive,” he mentions.The ‘Hera Pheri’ fame actor also addresses the online backlash that followed his tweet. He strongly condemns the abusive messages and threats directed at her. “Don’t abuse Anupama Chopra. She is a lady after all. She is an educated and cultured person,” he says.
‘Dhurandhar’ box office performance
Aditya Dhar divided his espionage drama into two parts. ‘Dhurandhar’ came in December 2025, and the sequel in 2026. According to Sacnilk, ‘Dhurandhar’ made Rs 1,307.35 crore worldwide, which set a new benchmark for Bollywood. However, this record was soon broken by none other than ‘Dhurandhar 2,’ which collected Rs 1,813.39 crore worldwide.
