Veteran filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi has spoken about the moment he discovered that his cult classics 'Ghayal' and 'Ghatak' had been referenced in Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh's blockbuster 'Dhurandhar', saying the gesture gave him deep satisfaction as a director and reaffirmed the enduring legacy of his work.

The Tribute That Caught Everyone's Attention

In 'Dhurandhar', protagonist Ranveer Singh delivers the line, 'Ghayal hoon, isiliye Ghatak hoon' — translating to 'I am hurt, and that is why I am dangerous' — widely understood as a nod to Santoshi's iconic Sunny Deol starrers. Director Aditya Dhar is believed to have woven in the dialogue as an intentional tribute to the two films.

Sunny Deol, who fronted both originals, later clarified that he received no royalty for the dialogue reference, describing it as purely a mark of respect. He noted that such tributes speak to a film's emotional legacy rather than its commercial value.

What Santoshi Said

Santoshi expressed genuine pride at the homage, saying: 'It gives immense satisfaction as a maker that we have done a good job. Otherwise, when do people remember? But for Ghayal, Ghatak, and Damini, people remember everything. They remember all the dialogues.'

He was also quick to praise Aditya Dhar and the 'Dhurandhar' team, expressing hope that the director continues on this upward trajectory. 'So, I really congratulate Dhurandhar's success. He should make more progress. He is a very good filmmaker. I want him to succeed in a very big way. In the future also,' Santoshi said.

On Whether the Reference Was Used Right

When asked if he had known in advance about the dialogue inclusion, Santoshi confirmed that people informed him promptly. He added that his primary concern was whether the reference had been handled with care. 'Good, but they used it correctly. They didn't misuse it,' he said — a pointed distinction for a filmmaker protective of his body of work.

Dhurandhar's Record-Breaking Run

The franchise that sparked the tribute has itself become a landmark in Hindi cinema. Starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, and Sara Arjun, both 'Dhurandhar' (2025) and its sequel 'Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge' (2026) collectively grossed more than ₹3,000 crore worldwide — making the franchise the first Hindi-language series to cross that milestone. The scale of the success lends added weight to the tribute: Dhar reached back into Bollywood's past precisely when he was making its biggest franchise future.

Notably, Santoshi's films — made in an era before franchise thinking dominated Bollywood — have outlasted countless bigger-budgeted productions in cultural memory. That a ₹3,000 crore franchise chose to echo them is, in many ways, the most meaningful box-office number of all.