'Dhurandhar Respects Audience Intelligence, Toxic Presumes Dumbness,' Says Ram Gopal Varma Ahead Of Big Release Clash

Hyderabad: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again sparked debate on social media, this time over the upcoming box office clash between Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups. Both films are set to release on March 19, and excitement is already high among fans. But for Varma, this clash is not about North versus South or Bollywood versus Sandalwood. According to him, it is about something much bigger.

Taking to X, Varma shared a long note where he called the clash "#Dhuroxic PARK" and described it as a "BATTLE between DAVID AND GOLIATH." He wrote that this is not just a fight between two big films, but a clash between two very different kinds of cinema. "It is actually a brutal clash between two CULTURES, not of regions, but of cinema," he said.

Varma strongly praised director Aditya Dhar and his film Dhurandhar. He said that Dhurandhar respects the intelligence of the audience. In contrast, he claimed that Toxic "presumes their dumbness." He explained, "The principal difference between the two is that #Dhurandhar respects the audience's intelligence and #Toxic presumes their dumbness."

He even compared the films to the blockbuster KGF: Chapter 2, starring Yash. Varma said that KGF 2 was a local film that aimed at "the dumbness in the masses," while Dhurandhar aimed at "the intelligence in the masses." According to him, that is why Dhurandhar became global and collected huge numbers at the box office.

In his post, Varma listed what he called "10 savage brutal truths" that separate the two films. He said one film focuses on "mindless hero worship," while the other allows the audience to discover heroes through their actions. He criticised "gravity defying stunts that mock physics" and loud background scores that shout, "CLAP AND WHISTLE NOW, YOU IDIOTS." In comparison, he praised Dhurandhar's "raw and real" action and moments of silence that allow performances to shine.

Varma also spoke about budgets. Without naming Toxic directly in that line, he mentioned "700 cr spent to make ONE guy look like an invincible God versus 130 cr spent to make EVERY character feel equally human." He said this shows the difference between "MONEY being POURED" and "MONEY being PUT TO USE."

Toxic, directed by Geetu Mohandas, marks Yash's first film after the KGF series. On the other hand, Dhurandhar: The Revenge stars Ranveer Singh in the lead role and continues the story from the first film. Varma ended his note with a disclaimer. He said his comments were not because of personal love for Aditya Dhar. "It is my HOPE for INDIAN CINEMA," he wrote. He added that on March 19, audiences will decide "if INDIA is DHURANDHAR or TOXIC." With such strong words from a senior filmmaker, the clash has become even more intense. Now, all eyes are on March 19 to see which film wins the hearts of the audience.

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