The stage of the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 witnessed a “Sakht” reality check on Sunday, April 5, as comedian Zakir Khan took a sharp, viral dig at the Bollywood fraternity. While co-hosting the star-studded event alongside Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar, Zakir addressed the elephant in the room: the unprecedented, record-shattering success of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise. With his signature wit, Zakir suggested that despite the flurry of “congratulatory” Instagram stories, the industry is secretly reeling from the film’s massive box-office haul.
“You may post stories and say in interviews that it’s your favorite film, but the truth is, everyone is jealous of Dhurandhar,” Zakir quipped in a video that has since exploded across social media. He punctuated the roast with a geographical burn, stating, “The bombs went off in Lyari (in the film), but the smoke is rising from Bandra to Juhu.” The joke referred to the film’s setting in Pakistan’s Lyari district versus the posh Mumbai neighborhoods where Bollywood’s elite reside. While the audience at the venue had mixed reactions, the internet has hailed Zakir for “spitting facts” and exposing the supposed “Mumbai brigade” that has been “burnt” by the film’s success.
The numbers certainly back Zakir’s bold claims. The first Dhurandhar (December 2025) amassed over ₹1,300 crore worldwide, but the sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, has reached even loftier heights. Released on March 19, 2026, the Ranveer Singh starrer has officially become the first Hindi film to net ₹1,000 crore at the domestic box office, with a global gross exceeding ₹1,600 crore. The franchise has transformed the spy-thriller genre in India, with Ranveer’s portrayal of Hamza (Jaskirat Singh Rangi) dismantling terror networks while navigating a high-stakes power struggle.
As the industry grapples with the “Dhurandhar wave,” the film continues to dominate headlines for more than just its earnings. From R. Madhavan watching the film incognito in Mumbai to Rakesh Bedi’s recent apology regarding social commentary, the franchise is a cultural phenomenon. Even as Hrithik Roshan defends the VFX of upcoming projects like Ramayana, and Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan celebrate at high-profile weddings, the shadow of Dhurandhar looms large. As Zakir Khan puts it, the success is undeniable—and for some in the industry, clearly a little hard to swallow.