Dhurandhar Marketing: Why Ranveer Singh Skipped Promotions

Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, emerged as a major box-office success, turning into one of the biggest Indian film franchises. However, before its release, the film’s promotional strategy attracted criticism, with some viewers questioning the lack of conventional promotions and the limited buzz surrounding the project.

Now, Varun Gupta, founder of Max Marketing, the agency behind the promotional campaigns for Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, has opened up about the thinking behind the strategy. In a conversation with the Everyday Empires podcast, Gupta explained why the makers deliberately chose not to have Ranveer Singh participate in the usual promotional activities. He also recalled how Aditya Dhar responded when criticism of the film’s marketing began appearing before its release.

According to Gupta, the decision to let the film and its promotional material speak for themselves was a conscious choice made collectively by the director, producer, actor and marketing team. Rather than relying heavily on star-led appearances and interviews, the team wanted audiences to engage with the film through the material released ahead of its theatrical debut.

Gupta also spoke about the trust Dhar placed in the marketing team despite negative commentary surrounding the campaign. Looking back, he said the filmmaker’s calm response strengthened the team’s determination to execute its strategy, even when the approach was questioned publicly.

Varun Gupta Explains the Thinking Behind Dhurandhar’s Marketing Strategy

Speaking on the Everyday Empires podcast, Varun Gupta recalled that his team began working on Dhurandhar before the film’s star cast had been finalised. The team was introduced to the script at an early stage, giving it an opportunity to understand the project before developing its promotional approach.

Gupta highlighted one particularly unusual aspect of the campaign: the release of a 3.5-minute promotional asset approximately six months before the film’s theatrical release. He said he could not recall another Hindi film following the same approach at that point, although longer promotional material released well ahead of a movie’s debut was more familiar in Hollywood.

The decision reflected an approach that prioritised giving audiences an early glimpse of the film rather than relying entirely on the conventional promotional cycle closer to release. Such a strategy can help establish a project’s tone, visual identity and storytelling ambitions well in advance, but it also requires patience when the audience’s response is still developing.

For Dhurandhar, the campaign did not immediately escape criticism. Some observers questioned whether the film had generated enough excitement, while others expressed disappointment over the apparent lack of promotional activity. The absence of frequent star appearances also became a talking point as the release approached.

Gupta acknowledged that the marketing team was aware of the criticism. However, he suggested that the people involved in the project remained focused on their plan rather than allowing every negative reaction to dictate their next move.

Aditya Dhar’s Calm Response to Criticism Strengthened the Team’s Confidence

One of Gupta’s most revealing recollections concerned Aditya Dhar’s response to articles questioning the film’s promotional campaign. According to the marketing executive, the director would share such reports with him but would not respond with anger or demand immediate changes to the strategy.

Recalling Dhar’s reaction, Gupta said, “There were times when articles would come out saying the promotions were bad and there was no buzz. Aditya would just send them to me and say, ‘It’s all okay.’ There were no questions asked.”

Gupta explained that the director’s confidence in the marketing team made a considerable difference to how they approached the campaign. Instead of feeling compelled to justify every decision, the team felt trusted to carry out the work it had planned.

He added that this trust inspired the team to become even more committed to the project. Describing the emotional investment of those involved, Gupta said, “That kind of trust makes you want to do anything for them. You become their warriors.”

For a marketing team working on a major film, such confidence can be particularly valuable when a campaign attracts criticism before its effectiveness can be measured at the box office. Promotional decisions are often judged in real time, but the commercial outcome depends on multiple factors, including the film itself, audience response, release timing and word of mouth.

Gupta also expressed happiness that the film ultimately worked commercially, acknowledging the effort invested by the people associated with it. He specifically noted that both Dhar and Ranveer Singh contributed significantly to the project, going beyond what might ordinarily be expected of a director and an actor.

Why Ranveer Singh Did Not Promote Dhurandhar

One of the biggest questions surrounding Dhurandhar before its release was Ranveer Singh’s limited involvement in conventional promotional activities. As the film’s lead actor, his absence from a typical round of interviews and promotional appearances stood out, particularly given the scale of the project.

Gupta explained that the decision was deliberate and involved discussions between the marketing team, director, producer and actor. Rather than treating the absence of star-led promotions as a limitation, they agreed to allow the film’s promotional assets to generate interest independently.

Explaining the thinking behind the decision, Gupta said, “There was a very conscious decision between us, the director, the producer and the actor. We were like, ‘Okay, let the film and its assets talk. Let the actors not talk.'”

The strategy represented a departure from the familiar Bollywood promotional model, in which lead actors typically participate in interviews, television appearances, public events and social media campaigns in the weeks leading up to release.

Such activities can help build awareness and keep a film in public conversation, but they are not the only way to promote a project. A campaign can also focus on trailers, teasers, posters, music and other creative material designed to establish curiosity about the story and its world.

In the case of Dhurandhar, the team chose to rely more heavily on the film’s promotional material. The approach was not simply a decision by the actor to stay away from publicity; according to Gupta, it was a coordinated strategy agreed upon by the principal people involved in the project.

The eventual box-office performance gave the team a positive outcome to point to, although commercial success alone does not establish that the same promotional approach would work for every film. Different projects have different audiences, budgets, release conditions and marketing requirements.

Why Gupta Compared Ranveer Singh’s Strategy With Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal Promotions

During the conversation, Gupta contrasted Ranveer Singh’s approach to Dhurandhar with Ranbir Kapoor’s promotional activities for Animal. He pointed out that Kapoor had appeared in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar before the release of Animal, whereas Singh had not enjoyed a similarly successful recent run before Dhurandhar.

Gupta’s comparison highlighted the different circumstances surrounding the two actors at the time their respective films were being promoted. The decision about how prominently a star should feature in a campaign can depend on several considerations, including the actor’s recent box-office record, the film’s positioning and the kind of audience engagement the makers want to create.

In Singh’s case, the team chose to keep the emphasis on the film itself rather than making the actor’s public appearances the central feature of the campaign. Gupta’s explanation suggests that the strategy was intended to build interest in the project without relying on the conventional star-driven promotional formula.

That approach also meant accepting the risk that audiences and industry observers might interpret the absence of interviews and appearances as a lack of promotional activity. The criticism Gupta recalled showed that the decision was not universally understood before the film’s release.

However, the team remained committed to its plan. The comparison with Animal illustrated that marketing decisions cannot necessarily be applied identically across different actors and films. A strategy that suits one project may not be the right fit for another.

Varun Gupta Addresses Alleged Paid Smear Campaigns Against Films

Gupta also discussed what he described as alleged paid smear campaigns targeting films before their release. He suggested that certain sections begin criticising a project unnecessarily when a film featuring a particular actor is about to reach cinemas.

According to Gupta, filmmakers can find themselves facing criticism regardless of the promotional strategy they choose. If a prominent actor participates extensively in publicity, critics may question why a major star needs to promote the film so heavily or suggest that the campaign would attract more attention with newer actors.

On the other hand, when a leading actor does not participate in conventional promotional activities, the absence can be interpreted as a sign that the makers have failed to generate sufficient buzz.

This creates a difficult situation for marketing teams, which must decide how to communicate a film’s appeal while responding to the expectations of audiences, media observers and the industry. A campaign that departs from established practices may attract scrutiny before its effectiveness becomes clear.

Gupta’s remarks reflected his perspective as a marketing professional working on major film releases. However, the claims about paid smear campaigns were presented as his observations and were not independently substantiated in the supplied account. Criticism of a film, by itself, does not establish that a coordinated or paid campaign is taking place.

The broader issue remains relevant to film marketing: public conversation can influence how a movie is perceived before release, but it is important to distinguish between genuine audience criticism, promotional debate and allegations of organised efforts to damage a film’s reputation.

Max Marketing’s Work on RRR, Animal and Kalki 2898 AD

Varun Gupta’s company, Max Marketing, has worked on promotional campaigns for several high-profile Indian films. According to the supplied report, its previous projects include RRR, Animal, Kalki 2898 AD and Chandu Champion.

Working across films with different genres, audiences and production scales gives a marketing agency exposure to a variety of promotional requirements. A large-scale action film, a contemporary drama and a sports-oriented biographical film may each require a different way of presenting their stories to prospective viewers.

Marketing teams must consider the film’s central appeal, the audience it hopes to attract and the creative material available for promotion. They also need to coordinate with filmmakers and producers to ensure that promotional activities support the project’s intended positioning.

Gupta’s comments about Dhurandhar provide an example of how a campaign can be designed around a specific creative decision: allowing the film’s assets to lead the conversation instead of depending heavily on the lead actor’s publicity appearances.

Max Marketing is also associated with SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi, which stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles, according to the supplied information.

Dhurandhar Becomes a Major Box-Office Success

The first instalment of the Dhurandhar franchise was released in December 2025 and featured Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun, R. Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt in key roles.

The film went on to collect more than ₹1,300 crore worldwide, according to the supplied report. Its commercial performance established it as a major box-office success and helped build anticipation for the next instalment.

The film’s reported earnings also changed the context in which its pre-release marketing strategy was discussed. What had initially attracted questions about promotional visibility became part of a wider conversation about whether the decision to let the film’s assets speak for themselves had paid off.

Nevertheless, a film’s box-office performance is influenced by several factors beyond marketing, including audience reception, storytelling, performances, distribution and the timing of its release. The success of Dhurandhar cannot be attributed to one promotional decision alone.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge Sets New Box-Office Benchmarks

The franchise continued with Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which was released in March 2026, approximately three months after the first film. The sequel arrived amid high expectations following the original’s reported commercial success.

According to the supplied report, the second instalment became the highest-grossing release of 2026 and the first Indian film to earn ₹1,000 crore at the domestic box office. Its worldwide collection reportedly exceeded ₹1,800 crore, placing it behind Dangal among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.

The sequel’s performance further strengthened the franchise’s position in the Indian film industry. It also added another dimension to the discussion about the campaign that had preceded the first instalment, particularly the decision to keep Ranveer Singh away from conventional promotional appearances.

For the team behind the films, the success of both instalments marked a significant outcome after the criticism Gupta recalled facing before the original’s release. His account highlights the importance of trust between filmmakers and marketing professionals when a campaign takes an unconventional direction.

What Dhurandhar’s Marketing Strategy Reveals About Film Promotion

Varun Gupta’s account offers a glimpse into the decisions that shape a major film’s promotional campaign. Rather than following a standard formula, the team behind Dhurandhar opted to prioritise the film’s promotional material and limit the emphasis on the lead actor’s public appearances.

The decision attracted criticism before release, illustrating the risks involved when a marketing campaign departs from audience expectations. At the same time, Aditya Dhar’s reported response showed how trust can help a creative team continue working without reacting to every negative headline.

Gupta’s comments also highlight the difficulty of judging a campaign before a film reaches audiences. Promotional visibility can generate awareness, but it does not guarantee commercial success. Similarly, a quieter campaign does not necessarily indicate that a film lacks ambition or audience appeal.

Ultimately, the strategy behind Dhurandhar was a collective decision rather than simply a case of Ranveer Singh choosing not to promote his film. According to Gupta, the director, producer, actor and marketing team agreed that the project should speak through its assets.

The franchise’s reported box-office performance gave that approach a successful outcome. However, the broader lesson is that film marketing depends on the project’s individual needs, the creative team’s priorities and the response of its intended audience. What worked for Dhurandhar may not necessarily be the right strategy for every upcoming release.