Nobody cared about Ravi Kishan’s ‘Dhurandhar’ for twelve years. Then Ranveer Singh made a Rs 1000 crore film with the same name and suddenly everyone went looking.
Image Source: IMDb
Ravi Kishan starred in a 2013 Bhojpuri film called ‘Dhurandhar: The Shooter’, directed by Deepak Tiwari. The film released on July 12, 2013, and became a superhit in Bihar. According to media archives, it collected Rs 9 lakh in its first three days. Over the years, it picked up a cult following through television and YouTube. Nobody was really talking about it anymore. Then Ranveer Singh happened.
The massive success of Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’, which crossed Rs 1,000 crore globally since its release, sparked an unexpected trend on social media: the rediscovery of Ravi Kishan’s 12-year-old Bhojpuri film with the same title. Online searches for Ranveer’s film led audiences directly to Kishan’s 2013 action drama.
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Netizens started a trend dubbing Ravi Kishan “Original Gangster” or “OG Dhurandhar.” Social media filled up with memes and clips comparing Ranveer’s high-tech spy to Kishan’s more traditional action hero. This led to a surge in views for the older film, which is available for free on YouTube.
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It wasn’t just the title that got people curious. Before ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ hit cinemas, netizens pointed out that the climax sequence of Ranveer’s ‘Dhurandhar’ is quite similar to Ravi Kishan’s ‘Dhurandhar’. The comparison clips went viral, and the resemblances surprised many online. Several users also pointed out that director Aditya Dhar may have drawn inspiration from Kishan’s Bhojpuri climax. Neither Dhar nor his team publicly addressed these specific comparisons.
Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Ravi Kishan, Upendra Limaye, and others attended the trailer launch of ‘Dhamaal 4’ at an amusement park on the outskirts of Mumbai. When asked about his old Bhojpuri film going viral, Ravi Kishan did not disappoint.
He said, “Yes, I do know. ‘Mere zindagi mein aise dhoom dhadake hote hai’! I had worked in a film called ‘Dhurandhar’. It was also in the same zone as the 2025 film Dhurandhar. But it was in Bhojpuri and was made in a certain budget. ‘Ab usko dekhne ke chakkar mein ya Dhurandhar (ke wave) mein sabne meri waali Dhurandhar jham ke dekh li’. So, thank you so much.”
He then made the moment everyone is now clipping and sharing. He joked, “Its producers and its right holders have suddenly become crorepatis now!”
To understand why the producers are smiling, consider the gap between the two films. The Aditya Dhar-directed Dhurandhar duology is being called the biggest blockbuster franchise of Indian cinema, grossing over Rs 3,000 crore worldwide. Ravi Kishan’s film, by contrast, had a small Bhojpuri budget and collected a few lakhs in its opening week. The internet casually bridged that gap by sending millions of viewers to a 13-year-old YouTube upload.
Ranveer Singh plays an undercover agent from India in ‘Dhurandhar’, spearheading Mission Dhurandhar against Rehman Dakait and his terror network in Lyari, Karachi. The film is loosely inspired by real events, including the Parliament attack and IC-814 hijacking. It also stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan.
The sequel, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, was locked for a high-profile Eid 2026 release. That announcement only added more fuel to the ‘Dhurandhar’ name being everywhere.
Beyond the ‘Dhurandhar’ moment, Ravi Kishan was clearly in a good mood at the trailer launch. He spoke about his personal excitement at being part of the ‘Dhamaal’ franchise, saying, “I used to watch the ‘Dhamaal’ series and today, I am a part of it. Indu sir is a gentleman, while the whole team is superb.”
When asked about dancing, he said, “‘Mujhe naachna hai. Mujhe bahut zor se naachne ka mann karta hai’! I attend events to dance, but I am made to answer questions! ‘Main zindagi ko ek naach hi samajta hoon. Zindagi mein naachna hi hai aur naachte-naachte upar jaana hai.'”
‘Dhamaal 4’ releases in cinemas on July 10. Ravi Kishan appears in the film alongside Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, and others. As for ‘Dhurandhar: The Shooter’, it is still on YouTube, free to watch, and presumably getting more clicks by the day.
The Bhojpuri original never had a sequel. Given the traffic it’s getting now, the producers might want to think about that.
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