Aditya Dhar’s cinematic spectacle, Dhurandhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh, has taken the box office by storm. So far, it has earned a staggering ₹1,204.15 crore globally within just 29 days of release. With the numbers, Dhurandhar becomes 2025’s top-grossing Indian film and the second-highest-grossing Hindi film in history.
The film had a stunning constellation of cast—but as Rakesh Bedi asserted, Ranveer Singh’s ‘star appeal’ proved a prime catalyst that drew crowds to the theatre. The synergy of the film’s tightly knit ensemble elevated its grandeur, yet it was Ranveer Singh who bore the weight of the narrative, infusing it with grit as the lead.
The Twin Pillars
Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor have been the twin pillars of the evolutionary Bollywood stardom. Their careers rose in parallel, yet have been fueled by distinctively different energies. But by late 2025, with Dhurandhar’s success, the balance now has a visible tilt. The debate earlier was mostly about the temperament of their artistry—now it has shifted to big, unignorable numbers, as we can say it. And now that we are in 2026, the debate is being reframed, as the audience is now measuring supremacy with the BO collections.
What remains hot now is the ‘Animal’ Vs ‘Dhurandhar’ factor. When Animal stormed in back in 2023, it almost redefined adult-rated Indian films, closing its BO run at 915 crore worldwide—eventually it marked Ranbir Kapoor’s dominance in mass-driven spectacles. And now with Dhurandhar, cinema itself has outdone its own parameters. Dhurandhar had crossed 1,200 crore worldwide. This postures Ranveer Singh at the centre. The film became the first Bollywood release to cross ₹700 crore in net box office in India. In doing so, Ranveer overtook Ranbir’s previous domestic best of approximately ₹550 crore for Animal.
Ranbir Kapoor still has his reign when it comes to first impressions. Animal made an explosive ₹200 crore net opening weekend, which shows Ranbir Kapoor’s prerelease pull with audiences at the theatres. On the other hand, Ranveer Singh’s film made a modest opening, but it proved its endurance, and now we already have the numbers.
Where They Differ
It’s in style. Ranbir Kapoor is celebrated for his natural charisma and innate screen presence. His mastery of the craft is evident in every performance, and the roles he selects seem to mould him. His performances feel introspective and not performative. Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, remains the very shapeshifter—Whether flamboyant, feral, romantic, or ruthless, he embraces physicality and transformation with fearless abandon. Therefore, to Ranveer Singh’s admirers, he has more versatility.
However, what keeps us amazed is that, away from the fan-driven rivalries and social media scorekeeping, the relationship between the two stars has always been very grounded. Professional respect can coexist with competitive excellence. In many ways, their rivalry thrives more in public imagination than in private reality.
What’s Ahead
It’s to see Dhurandhar sustaining momentum with Dhurandhar 2 and the other consecutive projects of Ranveer Singh. Ranbir Kapoor, meanwhile, is assembling one of the most formidable slates of his career, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love and War, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, and others. As their paths diverge into new genres and ambitions, the debate shows no sign of cooling—only evolving with each blockbuster that follows.
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