Dull colour-grading and 9 minutes shorter? ‘Dhurandhar’ arrives on OTT, but fans unhappy

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’—the box office juggernaut that became the first Indian film to cross the ₹1,000 crore mark—has finally hit Netflix, but the digital debut hasn't been the victory lap many expected. Several fans took to social media to express their disappointment over the film’s digital release, shortly after the movie started streaming on the popular OTT platform.

There has been speculation that Netflix released an edited version of the film, contrary to its promise of an uncensored cut. Many netizens noted that the movie’s original runtime was three hours and 34 minutes, whereas the version available on Netflix runs for only three hours and 25 minutes. Others also criticised the colour grading, claiming that the OTT platform undermined the film’s otherwise stunning cinematography.

“Netflix has ruined Dhurandhar. they destroyed its gorgeous cinematography & robbed that delightful viewing experience. toned it down to a level where it feels Lyari exists in a post-apocalyptic world. Heavily dusty & de-saturated frames, that shitty brown color palette. These jokers have zero sense of visual language. Reason i rank these OTTs, the worst place for cinema viewing, they exercise heavy control over "what" & "how" will be shown just to fit in their so-called ‘Netflix look,” one X user wrote.

Another person opined, “Dhurandhar's digital version is so bland. Dull color grading. Anybody who didn't see this on the big screen would think it's overrated. When you watch it in the theatre, you feel the scale from the word go. Digital version lacks that vibrance.”

Earlier reports suggested that the director was not informed about plans to reduce the film’s runtime. The movie, which released in theatres on December 5, was widely praised for its filmmaking style and the performances of its cast. Many viewers also felt that Bollywood actor Akshaya Khanna finally received his due through this action-packed film.