Why is Karan Johar getting trolled after 'Dhurandhar's' success?

Highlights:

• Dhurandhar 2 receives massive success and celebrity praise
• Karan Johar trolled despite appreciating the film publicly
• Viral video with Yami Gautam reignites old controversy
• Ranveer Singh’s performance hailed as his career best

The film Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun, has been breaking records and receiving widespread praise from celebrities. However, when Karan Johar applauded the film, he faced trolling online.

Karan Johar recently became the center of online debate after a viral video showed him hugging and praising Yami Gautam at an event. The moment, which came amid the success of Dhurandhar 2, surprised many viewers, especially given past rumors of tension between the two. While some fans welcomed the gesture as a sign of reconciliation, others revisited old clips alleging that Yami had previously been ignored at public platforms.

Despite the controversy, Karan Johar openly expressed his admiration for the film. After finally watching Dhurandhar 2, he shared a glowing review on Instagram, praising both Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh. He described the film as a powerful and emotionally moving experience.

Sharing a poster of the film, Karan wrote, “The discussions on Testosterone, hyper alpha energy and deep rooted patriotism will continue as it must… BUT #DHURANDHAR2 is so much more than that.” He went on to highlight the emotional depth of the story, including its themes of sacrifice and loss.

“The heart-wrenching back story of Jaskirat… the heartbreaking sacrifices made for our motherland…. The humanisation and layered back story even of the antagonist… the impeccable craft… the soundscape and the all round cinematic prowess proves the brilliance and directorial command of ADITYA DHAR … what an absolutely astounding and outstanding filmmaker he is,” Karan shared.

Praising Ranveer Singh’s performance, he added, “He not only raises the mainstream bar but also creates a new one… yeh naya director hai (he is a new director)!!! Box office records todke ghusega bhi aur har record maarega bhi (he will not only break records, but make new ones too) !! Aur aur aur @ranveersingh tu kya hai yaar?!?????? (What are you made of).”

He continued, “Your career BEST work and every tear of yours, every quiet stare, each time you walk with undeniable swag you prove you are one of the greats!!! You are and will always be an artist of huge calibre for the ages…. True DHURANDHAR MOVIE STAR!!! ….I went back to the days I watched pure solid Hindi cinema in single screens in the 70s… and came out satiated and dreamt of being a part of this business… today I am a part of the fraternity and Dhurandhar reminded me of how proud and grateful I am to be here today.”

Earlier, Karan had admitted that he had not been able to watch the film due to work commitments. He wrote, “I am filming in a location that has no access to a cinema and am suffering from FOMO! DHURANDHAR FOMO. I can’t wait to watch it and am so proud of so many members of our fraternity who are coming out and supporting and loving the film… it’s so heartening to see the united love for an INDIAN FILM! @adityadharfilms @officialjiostudios @ranveersingh."

Dhurandhar 2 is a sequel to the spy action thriller Dhurandhar, which released in December 2025 and earned over $155 million worldwide. The story follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent, played by Ranveer Singh, who infiltrates Karachi’s criminal syndicates and political networks to dismantle a terror operation targeting India.

The film also sparked controversy after an image circulated online showing Ranveer smoking while wearing a turban. Director Aditya Dhar later clarified that the image was AI-generated and part of a misleading narrative. He urged audiences to rely only on official content.