Akshaye Khanna’s Fee Hike After Dhurandhar Success: A Costly Mistake in Losing Drishyam 3? Film Exhibitor Manoj Desai Urges Calm

Ranveer Singh’s latest film, Dhurandhar, is rewriting box office records and achieving an unprecedented level of success since its December 5 release. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the high-octane spy thriller has not only become the highest-grossing Indian film of all time in a single language but has also amassed over ₹831 crore nett in India and exceeded ₹1,220 crore globally.

Manoj Desai, Executive Director of G7 Multiplex (Gaiety Galaxy) and Maratha Mandir Cinema, shared his insights on the film’s historic performance in a candid interview with Bollywood Hungama. “As of today, it is number one. Collection-wise, Dhurandhar has clearly emerged as number one,” he stated. He acknowledged the strong presence of other films like Salman Khan’s latest release, Sikandar, but emphasized that Dhurandhar currently leads the pack.

In an interesting twist, Desai admitted he hasn’t yet watched Dhurandhar, despite being at the helm of cinemas that have featured packed screenings. “You know the saying-if someone owns a shop that sells cream and milk, he can’t consume all the cream or drink all the milk himself. In the same way, I haven’t been able to watch Dhurandhar yet, but I will watch it now,” he explained.

Desai attributed the film’s phenomenal success to its aggressive marketing and the buzz generated by its soundtrack. “In our area, Dhurandhar has done the best business-whether it’s Maharana Mandir cinema or the G7 multiplex, the film has worked wonders. They did extremely strong publicity. A few YouTube songs were also released, and after seeing all that, the public came rushing to theatres,” he noted. He emphasized the importance of promotional efforts in today’s film industry, highlighting that substantial investment in marketing can lead to significant returns.

On the subject of Akshaye Khanna, who starred in Dhurandhar, Desai reflected on his rising fees post-success. “That said, after this, Akshaye ji increased his fees, and he lost out on Drishyam 3, which personally, I feel he shouldn’t have done. Whenever a star achieves success-even from a short song-they should maintain some level of calm afterward,” he commented.

Looking at the broader implications of Dhurandhar’s success, Desai pointed out that the film has positioned Ranveer Singh as a top-tier star. “What one can learn from this is that if you make a film like this, you become number one-you become the king,” he said. He added that now is the time for Singh to be selective about his future roles, emphasizing the need to assess script quality, dialogue significance, and character depth. “This applies to every actor,” he remarked.

Concluding his thoughts, Desai praised Dhurandhar, stating, “Right now, Dhurandhar has been outstanding… they should be very, very perfect in their working.” Written and directed by Aditya Dhar, known for Uri: The Surgical Strike, Dhurandhar features an ensemble cast that includes Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, R. Madhavan, and Rakesh Bedi. As the film continues to dominate box offices across India and internationally, it’s clear that Dhurandhar is not just a cinematic success but a cultural phenomenon in the making.

Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/after-dhurandhar-success-akshaye-khanna-increased-his-fees-and-lost-drishyam-3-he-should-maintain-a-little-calm-says-film-exhibitor-manoj-desai/articleshow/126423435.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-01-10 03:57:00