Fresh from the word-of-mouth success of Haq—the Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi starrer that has won over audiences with its emotional precision and clean, confident craft—director Suparn S Varma has stepped into the spotlight again, this time not for his own film, but to defend a fellow filmmaker. As Haq continues its steady, applause-driven run in theatres, Suparn has rallied behind Aditya Dhar, whose upcoming film Dhurandhar has been facing a wave of online criticism for its violent, unflinching tone.
Addressing what he calls a longstanding industry double standard, Suparn didn’t mince words. He pointed out that audiences often celebrate the same level of violence, grit, and rawness in foreign films—especially Korean or Japanese cinema—while judging Hindi films far more harshly. The filmmaker shared a candid note on his social media, writing: “I’m just amazed by some of the chatter about the violence in #Dhurandhar… the same viewers would have called it cinematic brilliance if this was in any other language… It’s high time we celebrated Hindi cinema and its filmmakers with the same passion.” His post praised the world Aditya Dhar has built, calling him and his team “spellbinding” in their vision.
Suparn’s words land at a crucial moment. Dhurandhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh and packed with a star cast, has stirred debate over its graphic brutality—raising questions about creative freedom, cultural bias, and audience expectations. By speaking up, Suparn not only defends a colleague but also highlights a deeper industry truth: Indian cinema is often held to a contradictory standard, one that overlooks innovation at home while worshipping it abroad.
And all of this comes as Suparn himself stands on the cusp of a major career upswing. With Haq reaffirming his credibility, the filmmaker is now in high-level conversations with top studios, leading producers, and A-list actors. As he steps into what may be his most ambitious chapter yet, Suparn S Varma is making it clear—Indian storytellers deserve the same space, respect, and celebration as their global counterparts.