Ram Gopal Varma on 'Dhurandhar' and 'Toxic' release: It's a clash between two cultures of cinema

New Delhi: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma shared a lengthy note on social media as he addressed the upcoming release of Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups on March 19 and said it's a "brutal clash between two cultures of cinema".

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 is a sequel to the previous film, led by Ranveer Singh. Released in December 2025, it went on to cross over Rs 1000 crore at box office. Toxic features Yash in the lead role of a ruthless gangster and is directed by Geetu Mohandas.

Varma uploaded a post on his X handle on Sunday as he shared his thoughts on the clash. "THE #Dhuroxic PARK NO, I am not talking about TWO BIG FILMS #Dhurandhar2 and #Toxic releasing on March 19th. I am actually talking about a NEVER BEFORE SEEN or EXPERIENCED mythical archetype EXPLODING in the GRAND ARENA of INDIAN CINEMAS. It is a BATTLE between DAVID AND GOLIATH," he wrote.

"I strongly believe that #Dhuroxic is not about North against South, not Bollywood against Sandalwood. It is actually a brutal clash between two CULTURES , not of regions, but of cinema. The principal difference between the two is that #Dhurandhar respects the audience’s intelligence and #Toxic presumes their dumbness...#Dhurandhar a reported 130 cr DAVID film (both versions together cost some 260 cr) hit some 1500 cr, proving that the so called MASSES are actually far more INTELLIGENT than what the MASALA MERCHANTS ever imagined."

Varma, who has previously praised Dhar's Dhurandhar, said he is waiting to know which film will have better box office results. "DISCLAIMER: NO, it is not my love for @AdityaDharFilms which made me write this, but it is my HOPE for INDIAN CINEMA. I am waiting with bated breath for MARCH 19th to know if INDIA is 'DHURANDHAR' or 'TOXIC'," he wrote.

Also featuring Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt and Sara Arjun, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal, among others, Dhurandhar revolved around covert intelligence operations set against a backdrop of geopolitical and terror events like Kandahar plane hijack, 2001 Parliament Attack and 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Toxic also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, and Tara Sutaria in pivotal roles.