Ameesha Patel, Siddharth Anand Slam Zakir Khan Over ‘Dhurandhar 2’ Remark
Zakir Khan’s remarks on ‘Dhurandhar 2’ sparked a heated debate, with Ameesha Patel and Siddharth Anand hitting back as the film continues its record-breaking run.
The record-breaking theatrical run of Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ has become the epicentre of a heated industry debate. While the film continues to shatter box office records, a recent social media storm has erupted following a series of pointed remarks made by comedian Zakir Khan at the Chetak Screen Award 2026, leading to sharp public rebuttals from actress Ameesha Patel and filmmaker Siddharth Anand.
ALSO READ | What Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma Said About Ranveer Singh’s Performance In ‘Dhurandhar 2’
The controversy began when Zakir Khan, who co-hosted the star-studded awards ceremony alongside Alia Bhatt, Saurabh Dwivedi and Sunil Grover, delivered a monologue suggesting that the Hindi film industry is struggling to mask its jealousy over the film’s unprecedented success.
“Kitne hi congratulatory post aap daal de, kitne hi story daalde... magar sach toh yeh hai ke Dhurandhar se sabki jali toh hai,” Zakir Khan told the audience, implying that the congratulatory messages from the fraternity were mere formalities.
He further sharpened the jibe with a geographical metaphor: “Bomb film mein foote Lyari mein par dhuan udaa hai Bandra se Juhu mein.”
Ameesha Patel, who has previously voiced her support for the film, was the first to openly slam the comedian’s stance. Taking to her X account, she urged Zakir Khan to “stop spreading negativity,” asserting that the industry has nothing but respect for the high-octane project. Ameesha Patel reminded the comedian that Bollywood’s legacy of blockbusters is long and well-established.
“Superstars like SRK, Salman, Sunny, Hrithik, Ajay etc have given not just 1 but 25 plus mega hits and will continue to do so. Chill. Gadar bahut saalon se sabne already machai hain aur aage bhi machaayenge,” she wrote, referencing her own historic hit ‘Gadar’.
DUDE-Stop spreading NEGATIVITY!film industry has valued n respected DHURANDHAR!Superstars like SRK,SALMAN,SUNNY , HRITHIK,AJAY et have given not just 1 but 25 plus mega hits n will continue to do so👍CHILL-GADAR bahut saalon se sabne already machai hain aur aage bhi machaayenge👍 pic.twitter.com/MqOD74LH83
— ameesha patel (@ameesha_patel) April 7, 2026
Director Siddharth Anand, known for helming ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Fighter’, also joined the fray with a cryptic yet firm response. Defending the contributions of the Mumbai film fraternity based in the suburbs Zakir Khan mentioned, Siddharth Anand posted, “Juhu - Bandra peeps have given all ATBB’s (All Time Blockbusters) since the past 50 years. You have to be a real duffer to undermine their contribution.”
Juhu - Bandra peeps have given all ATBB’s since the past 50 years. You have to be a real duffer to undermine their contribution 😂
— Siddharth Anand (@justSidAnand) April 7, 2026
This friction comes as ‘Dhurandhar 2’ makes history. The spy thriller, starring Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari (originally Jaskirat Singh Rangi), recently became the first Bollywood film to cross the Rs 1,000 crore mark in the domestic Indian market. Its predecessor had already set a high bar with a Rs 1,300 crore worldwide collection. The sequel, featuring an ensemble cast including R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun and Sanjay Dutt, has received widespread acclaim from Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal.
Interestingly, Ameesha Patel’s criticism of Zakir Khan follows her previous high praise for director Aditya Dhar. In March, she called the film an “eye-opener,” praising Aditya Dhar for making a “film and not a project” and opting for “actors and not Instagrammars who trend at parties.”
As the film continues its dominant run, the debate over the industry's reaction remains a hot topic, with even Deepika Padukone recently responding to trolls regarding her own perceived "silence" on the film's success.
