When a filmmaker quietly renews a studio deal just before delivering a blockbuster, you know something bigger is brewing.
After the roaring success of Dhurandhar, director Aditya Dhar has renewed his exclusive first-look deal with Jio Studios for another two years. And industry whispers suggest his next ambitious move could be a grand mythological action film — possibly headlined by Ranveer Singh.
Yes, the duo might be reuniting sooner than expected.
Moving On From The Immortal Ashwatthama
For years, Dhar’s passion project The Immortal Ashwatthama was positioned as one of Bollywood’s most awaited mythological epics, with Vicky Kaushal set to play the lead. Announced in the aftermath of Uri: The Surgical Strike, the film promised scale, cutting-edge VFX, and a cinematic reimagining of a Mahabharata warrior.
But scale comes at a price.
Mounting budgets and financial concerns eventually forced the makers to shelve the project. According to recent reports, Dhar has now completely moved on from the venture, with no plans of reviving it in the near future.
Instead of looking back, he’s looking ahead.
The Dhar–Ranveer Equation
The partnership between Dhar and Ranveer has already delivered big results. Dhurandhar may have had a quiet OTT arrival, but it exploded into a phenomenon. Despite facing bans in multiple Gulf countries and Pakistan, the film found massive global traction on Netflix and reportedly crossed ₹838 crore net at the Indian box office — an extraordinary feat for a single-language release.
The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is already in motion and slated for a March 19, 2026 theatrical release. The follow-up promises bigger action and higher emotional stakes, with supporting appearances from Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and others.
Given that momentum, renewing the studio partnership right before Dhurandhar hit screens seems less like coincidence and more like strategy.
A New Mythological Chapter?
Sources suggest Dhar has discussed a fresh mythological action concept with Ranveer. While details remain tightly under wraps, insiders claim the filmmaker is keen on blending mythology with large-scale cinematic spectacle — but this time, possibly with tighter financial control and a clearer production roadmap.
If true, it would mark a fascinating shift: instead of reviving Ashwatthama, Dhar could be building an entirely new mythological universe.
And Ranveer, known for fully immersing himself into physically demanding roles, might just be the perfect face for it.
Final Words
Aditya Dhar shelving The Immortal Ashwatthama once felt like the end of an ambitious dream. But in cinema, sometimes shelving a project isn’t defeat — it’s recalibration.
With Jio Studios backing him again and Ranveer Singh potentially leading the charge, Dhar appears ready to re-enter mythological territory — only smarter, sharper, and possibly bigger.
If this reunion happens, Bollywood might be gearing up for its next epic-scale action spectacle.
And this time, the timing could be just right.
