Ranveer Singh's massive spy-action franchise is trying to do what very few Indian movies have ever achieved.
Aditya Dhar’s record-shattering duology has already rewritten the history books. Together, Dhurandhar (2025) and Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) have hauled in over ₹3,100 crore globally. That makes it the first Indian film franchise to cross the ₹3,000 crore milestone. It's an unstoppable, massive juggernaut.
But today, July 10, 2026, the stakes change completely. Jio Studios has officially launched the first film in Japanese theatres under the title Operation Dhurandhar.
It sounds like a guaranteed victory lap, right? Not quite. Japan is a famously unpredictable market for international cinema. While Indian action films have found a passionate, dedicated fanbase there over the last decade, hitting the kind of box office numbers the producers want requires a perfect storm of pop culture obsession.
The Target on RRR's Back
Let’s talk numbers. The benchmark for any Indian release landing on Japanese shores is S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR. That film brought in roughly ₹139 crore in Japan alone. It became a genuine cultural phenomenon, running in theatres for months and spawning vocal screenings where fans cheered, danced, and waved glow sticks.
Before RRR, Rajinikanth’s Muthu held the crown for decades after its legendary 1998 run.
Operation Dhurandhar wants that top spot. Jio Studios went all out with a fully localized promotional campaign, including a customized Japanese poster and a personalized video message from Ranveer Singh greeting fans with a warm "Konnichiwa." The film is even hitting theatres with a dedicated Japanese dub to ensure it's accessible to general audiences, not just hardcore cinephiles.
But breaking RRR's record isn't just about spending money on marketing. It requires a specific kind of cinematic energy that resonates with Japanese viewers.
Gritty Espionage Versus Over-the-Top Spectacle
What made RRR a massive hit in Japan was its vibrant, gravity-defying, emotionally amplified action. It felt like a live-action anime.
Dhurandhar is a different beast. Running at a staggering three hours and 34 minutes, it’s an intense, gritty spy thriller. The story follows an undercover Indian operative infiltrating a dangerous criminal network in Karachi’s Lyari suburb, climbing the ranks to dismantle it from within. It mixes real-world political tension, South Asian geopolitics, and complex tradecraft with explosive action.
Will Japanese audiences embrace a grounded, marathon-length espionage drama the same way they embraced the mythic, high-flying heroism of Rajamouli's epic?
Historically, Japanese moviegoers love intricate plots and deep character development. Look at how popular western spy franchises or complex anime political thrillers are. Dhurandhar offers exactly that kind of narrative meat. It isn't just mindless explosions; it’s a high-stakes chess match with a massive budget.
The Franchise Gamble
There's a strategic reason why Jio Studios and B62 Studios are pushing so hard right now. The second part, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, came out in March 2026 and quickly became a massive hit, despite a runtime of nearly four hours (229 minutes) and some controversy over its heavy political themes.
By building a footprint in Japan with the first film today, the makers are setting up a long-term pipeline. If Operation Dhurandhar connects, the sequel is sitting right there, ready to double the box office take.
The biggest hurdle isn't the quality of the movie. It's the sheer length and the cultural context. Indian geopolitical thrillers require a bit of background knowledge for outside audiences. However, Aditya Dhar has proved before that his filmmaking relies on universal emotions: betrayal, loyalty, and survival. Those translate in any language.
If you're tracking the global business of Indian cinema, the next few weeks are critical. Watch the per-screen averages in Tokyo and Osaka. If the film handles the opening weekend drop-off well and gets good word-of-mouth on Japanese social media networks, we might see the first real challenger to the box office crown. If it struggles, it proves that while Indian action is a massive export, the gritty spy genre still has some work to do overseas.
For more details on the franchise's journey, you can see how the promotional rollout looked when Ranveer Singh invited Japanese fans to theatres, showcasing the unique localization strategy behind this release.
