Hyderabad: Aditya Dhar is now one of the most talked-about filmmakers in Bollywood. After the huge success of Uri: The Surgical Strike and Dhurandhar, he has built a strong name in the film industry. But before films became his identity, Dhar had a very different dream. He wanted to become a cricketer.
When Cricket Was His First Dream
During his younger days, Aditya Dhar was deeply involved in competitive cricket and reportedly aimed to represent India. He was seen as a promising young player and was determined to make it to the Under-19 cricket team in the early 2000s. Dhar even hoped to be part of the squad for the 2002 Under-19 World Cup.
However, things did not go as planned. Reports suggest that Dhar missed out on selection when the spot went to cricketer Stuart Binny, the son of former Indian player Roger Binny. In that tournament, Stuart Binny scored only 34 runs in six matches and picked up just two wickets, which later led to questions about the selection.
Many observers believed the decision reflected the influence of connections in cricket at the time. The disappointment reportedly left Dhar deeply frustrated with the system, eventually pushing him away from the sport.
Priyadarshan revealed in an interview with Mashable India that Aditya Dhar was sitting at home, disappointed, when someone invited him to watch Gardish. After seeing the film, Dhar decided that cinema was what he wanted to pursue. That moment pushed him toward Mumbai and the world of filmmaking.
Early Struggles In Bollywood
Aditya Dhar’s journey in films was not easy. Like many newcomers, he faced rejection and frustration. Priyadarshan said that Dhar had written for a few films earlier but did not get proper credit. Later, he worked with Priyadarshan as an assistant director and also wrote dialogues. During those years, he slowly sharpened his skills and built his confidence.
Priyadarshan praised Aditya Dhar’s strong command over language and always believed he had great potential as a writer and filmmaker.
Dhurandhar’s Record-Breaking Success
Aditya Dhar eventually made his directorial debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike, which became a massive hit. Years later, he delivered an even bigger success with Dhurandhar, released on December 5, 2025.
The Ranveer Singh starrer opened with Rs 28 crore in India and collected Rs 218 crore in its first week. The film crossed Rs 500 crore domestically within 16 days and eventually earned more than Rs 1,300 crore worldwide. It became the highest-grossing Hindi film globally and one of the biggest box office successes of the year.
Following the massive success of the first film, the franchise is continuing with its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on March 19, with paid preview screenings planned a day earlier.
