The upcoming action-thriller Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, is already creating buzz for one bold reason: its unusually long runtime. According to recent reports, the first part of Dhurandhar clocks in at around 3 hours and 32 minutes a duration that places it among Bollywood’s longest films in nearly two decades.
While the filmmakers have not yet publicly confirmed the final length, insiders claim the cut sent for certification is close to 3.5 hours. This makes Dhurandhar significantly longer than any previous film in Ranveer Singh’s career. His earlier long-form movie, Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), ran 2 hours and 51 minutes; other recent films like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) and Padmaavat (2018) stayed under three hours.
Ambitious Storytelling Behind the Long Runtime
The film is directed by Aditya Dhar, known for his intricate and expansive narratives. Sources suggest that the extended runtime reflects the film’s vast scope combining intense drama, action sequences, complex characters and a layered plot.
Producers reportedly felt that to do justice to this grandeur, they couldn’t compress the story into a conventional two-and-a-half-hour format. Instead, they opted for a longer cut, possibly at the cost of pacing risks, but with the aim of delivering a full, immersive cinematic experience.
What This Means for Audiences Excitement and Risk
For viewers, the long runtime offers a chance to get a full-fledged epic on the big screen a rarity in modern Hindi cinema, which has increasingly trended toward shorter, crisper films. If Dhurandhar maintains its narrative strength and pacing, it may serve as a return to grandeur for those who miss the long-form movie experience.
At the same time, longer films carry inherent risks: audience patience, editing discipline, and theatrical scheduling all become challenges. Unless executed well, such films can feel over-extended. How audiences respond to Dhurandhar’s length whether they embrace the epic scale or find it exhausting could shape its reception in a big way.
Dhurandhar’s Place in Recent Bollywood History
If the reported runtime holds, Dhurandhar will join a short list of Hindi films in recent decades that dared to go beyond the 3-hour mark. Its length links back to an earlier era of epic storytelling before modern runtime norms tightened. In doing so, the film attempts to bridge older traditions of cinematic scale with today’s sensibilities of big-budget spectacle and star power.
With its December 5, 2025 release date approaching, Dhurandhar stands poised not just as another actioner but as a bold experiment in runtime and storytelling ambition.
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