Dhurandhar marketing head Varun Gupta explained why Ranveer Singh skipped promotions for the 2026 film. He said, “Let the film and its assets talk. Let the actors not talk.” The team chose this strategy to build hype. The film eventually earned over ₹1,800 crore, becoming a massive box office success.
He 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. That kind of trust makes you want to do anything for them. You become their warriors. I’m happy the film worked because everyone put a lot into it. But Aditya and Ranveer Singh, specifically, put in a lot beyond what they should have as a director and an actor. I’m happy for everyone associated with it."
Varun also spoke about the alleged paid smear campaigns targeting films ahead of their release. He said that when a film starring a particular actor is about to release, certain sections unnecessarily criticise it. He pointed out that filmmakers face criticism regardless of whether they take the lead actor out for promotions. If the actor participates in promotional activities, people question why such a big star needs to promote the film and argue that newer actors would attract more attention. However, if the actor does not participate, people claim that the makers are promoting the film without generating enough buzz.
He said, "Ranbir had Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar before Animal released, Ranveer Singh had not had a great run before Dhurandhar. 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.'"
Varun's company has previously worked on promotional campaigns for films such as RRR, Animal, Kalki 2898 AD and Chandu Champion. It is also associated with SS Rajamouli's upcoming film Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles.
Three months later, in March 2026, Dhurandhar: The Revenge was released amid considerable hype and high expectations, which it went on to meet at the box office. The film became the highest-grossing release of 2026 and the first Indian film to earn ₹1,000 crore at the domestic box office. It collected over ₹1,800 crore worldwide, placing it behind Dangal among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.