New Delhi/Mumbai: The much-anticipated action drama Dhurandhar 2 opened to unexpected disruption on its release day, with multiple screenings cancelled or delayed across India. Director Aditya Dhar issued a public apology, attributing the chaos to last-minute technical setbacks and unfinished dubbed versions.
In a message shared with audiences, Dhar described the project as deeply personal, calling it a film the team had “lived and breathed” for years. He assured viewers that while most Hindi screenings resumed from the evening, regional language shows faced delays due to technical issues. Tamil and Telugu versions were scheduled for a late-night rollout, while Malayalam and Kannada screenings were pushed to the following day.
To address inconvenience caused to ticket holders, the makers offered refunds or the option to watch the Hindi version with subtitles wherever regional versions were unavailable.
Despite these assurances, the ground situation remained tense in several cities. In Delhi-NCR, a number of multiplexes reported abrupt cancellations, especially for early evening shows. Premium formats such as IMAX were taken offline entirely, while several theatre chains either postponed or scrapped scheduled screenings.
Cinema operators pointed to last-minute edits following certification requirements as one of the reasons behind the delay. A theatre manager in Noida indicated that changes suggested during the censor process forced distributors to resend updated versions of the film, pushing back show timings.
The ripple effect was also visible in Mumbai, where iconic single-screen theatres saw large crowds waiting outside as scheduled shows failed to begin on time. At some venues, even late afternoon screenings remained stalled, with staff urging audiences to return for night shows instead.
Industry observers highlighted technical bottlenecks as a key factor. According to trade analyst Ramesh Bala, only the Hindi version was fully ready for distribution, while dubbed versions were still undergoing sound and edit corrections. This meant that digital copies required for regional screenings had not been delivered to theatres in time.
The absence of Tamil and Telugu versions particularly impacted southern markets, where cinema chains cited “non-availability of content” as the primary cause for cancellations. Theatre owners in cities like Chennai confirmed they had not received the required files, forcing them to pull shows at the last minute and issue apologies to moviegoers.
The delays also exposed the complexities of modern film distribution, where screenings depend on encrypted digital files and activation keys that must be delivered precisely on schedule. Any disruption in this chain can lead to widespread cancellations.
Dhurandhar 2, headlined by Ranveer Singh and featuring an ensemble cast including Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan, was planned as a pan-India release across five languages. While the film has now begun rolling out in phases, the troubled start has left audiences and exhibitors grappling with confusion and frustration.
Producers, however, remain hopeful that the issues will be resolved quickly, allowing the film to regain momentum over the coming days.
