Is Aditya Dhar the next Rajamouli in Indian cinema?

Aditya Dhar is increasingly drawing comparisons with India’s top filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli. Some film observers even say he could emerge as the next Rajamouli in terms of delivering powerful, content-driven blockbusters.

Currently, Rajamouli remains the number one director in India, known for massive spectacles like RRR and Baahubali: The Beginning. Even for his upcoming magnum opus “Varanasi,: starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, Rajamouli has already begun promotional activities and media interactions, including interviews with Hollywood outlets.

In contrast, Aditya Dhar’s films seem to be thriving largely on content rather than promotions. His debut blockbuster “Uri: The Surgical Strike” ” grossed nearly Rs 300 crore worldwide, despite having no major star-driven promotional campaign.

More recently, his film “Dhurandhar” reportedly broke several records at the box office. Interestingly, the film did not rely on heavy promotions, and even its lead star Ranveer Singh did not actively participate in extensive media interactions.

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Now, the sequel “Dhurandhar 2” is already creating buzz with record advance bookings, even though the team has not conducted major promotional events so far. Once again, the film’s content-driven hype appears to be doing the talking.

Because of this trend, some trade watchers argue that Aditya Dhar’s ability to generate massive interest without aggressive marketing makes him a filmmaker to watch, and perhaps even a future rival to Rajamouli in the big-league blockbuster space.