Shivani
After Dhurandhar hit theatres, many fans claimed Akshaye Khanna delivered the film’s strongest performance. That view has now shifted. Having smashed box-office records with earnings exceeding ₹1,000 crore during its theatrical run, Dhurandhar began streaming on Netflix on Friday. The film features Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi.
Earlier, audiences widely praised Akshaye’s portrayal of antagonist Rehman Dakait as the standout role. However, following the Netflix premiere, online conversations suggest viewers are reassessing performances, with opinions changing about who truly dominates the narrative and leaves the biggest impact overall for modern audiences worldwide today.
Internet reactions questioned whether Akshaye Khanna overshadowed Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar. After watching the film, many felt Ranveer delivered a brilliant performance, not Akshaye. One viewer commented online, sparking debate and divided opinions among audiences across social media platforms widely: “Finally watched Dhurandhar. It’s a well-written and well-made movie, though there is too much unnecessary gore. Everyone has acted well, but Ranveer is spectacular! Akshay Khanna has great screen presence, but I don’t think he has overshadowed Ranveer.” “Akshay is not even one per cent of all the hype that was made,” read a comment.
Finally watched Dhurandhar. It’s a well written and well made movie, too much unnecessary gore though. Everyone has acted well but Ranveer is spectacular! Akshay Khanna has great screen presence but I don’t think he has overshadowed Ranveer.
— नम्रता (@_Namrataa) January 30, 2026
Some viewers feel Akshaye’s performance bordered on overacting
A tweet stated, “Dhurandhar has been watched, and I have a different review for the movie, but the thing that pissed me off most is ‘Akshaye Khanna overshadowed Ranveer’ PR gimmick because he didn’t, not even one percent. Smoking in slow mo with a fancy wig isn’t called acting and overshadowing. He was even terrible in his son’s death sequence. Ranveer ate him whenever they appeared together, and if you think he did, then you have 0 knowledge about how films are made and what’s ‘acting’, but jobless people of social media always try to s*** jobless flop actors to degrade leading stars..! Anybody who deserves credit for Dhurandhar’s success after ‘propaganda’ is only Ranveer Singh.”
Ranveer Singh in dhurandhar is peak casting 🥵 https://t.co/rqWFu5CqRm pic.twitter.com/3UjANjP2OW
— daksh. (@mythicbxrn) January 30, 2026
An X user mentioned, “I didn’t like his acting at all, nor did I find him menacing. Arjun Rampal, on the other hand, was devil personified.” “Akshaye did overacting in every scene, I feel. Ranveer was brilliant,” read another comment. Another tweet read, “Finally someone said it, same feeling bro, Akshay Khanna did over the top acting.” Another fan said, “Akshay Khanna was really good in his son’s death scene. Though I agree Akshay Khanna hasn’t overshadowed Ranveer even a bit! Ranveer stole each and every scene he was in.”
Akshaye Khanna’s fans push back, calling him the standout and best part of the film
However, a few fans of Akshaye disagreed with this view. “Agree that Akshaye didn’t overshadow Ranveer, but he was phenomenal,” read a comment. A fan said, “I knew this would happen after the OTT release. He is the best part of the movie. People went to the theatre 3-4 times only to watch him .. Now keep crying till your soul is satisfied,” said another person. “I loved Akshay Khanna’s performance. Even Ranveer was good, but Khanna was better,” penned an X user.
All about Dhurandhar movie
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar hit theatres on December 5 and remained popular through January ahead of its Netflix debut. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sara Arjun, and is conceived as a two-part franchise, with the sequel set for March 19, 2026.
Audiences can stream the film in Tamil and Telugu along with Hindi. Dhurandhar shattered records to become the highest-grossing single-language Hindi film in India, crossing ₹1,000 crore net. Beyond box-office success, it sparked viral moments through its songs, Ranveer’s iconic hair flip, and Akshaye’s effortless dance moves.
