‘Dhuroxic’: Ram Gopal Varma names the Dhurandhar 2 vs Toxic clash, calls it a battle of two ideologies

Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic will clash at the box office this Eid 2026.

Ram Gopal Varma is at it once again. The filmmaker has sparked fresh discourse online after weighing in on the much-anticipated box office clash between Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar 2 and Geetu Mohandas’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, both slated for release on Eid 2026. Taking to X, RGV coined the term “Dhuroxic” to describe the showdown (a portmanteau that instantly reminds one of the iconic Barbenheimer clash of summer 2023 between Oppenheimer and Barbie). Not only did he give the clash a name, but he also framed it as a cinematic battle of ideologies, calling it “the ultimate clash between ultra realistic cinema and ultra unrealistic cinema.”

RGV went on to explain how, in his view, Dhurandhar derives its strength from realism, while Toxic thrives on style. Elaborating on the contrast, he wrote, “D is built on cause , leading to effect and consequence. It reveals that violence has moral, psychological, and political foundations. The Characters act because they must, not because they will look cool. Believes the audience is intelligent whereas In T Style precedes logic. Violence exists to display attitude, not necessity. T assumes the audience wants stimulation, not emotional engagement like D.”

Continuing his comparison, RGV suggested that Dhurandhar seeks to unsettle audiences, while Toxic aims to impress. He wrote, “D’s Protagonist is human He can fail, misjudge, bleed, age His power is limited and contextual T’s Protagonist is born bulletproof The story bends backwards to protect his ‘ultra cool factor’ The world exists to worship him D speaks in silence. T shouts.” He further contrasted the formal techniques of both films, describing their visual grammar in detail. According to RGV, “D Camera behaves like a witness. Frames are observational. Editing respects time, geography and narrative. T Camera behaves like a master. Slow motion bloats reality. Editing manufactures non existent intensity.”

RGV argued that watching the two films side by side could raise deeper questions about the current state of mainstream cinema. He posed a series of rhetorical questions, writing, “Will Smoking in slow motion still equal depth of character? Will Violence be still fine just for the sake of spectacle? Watching Dhuroxic side by side on march 19th will be like being inside a war zone versus next to a fashion shoot.” He concluded his opinion by framing Dhuroxic as more than just a box office clash, suggesting it could represent a cultural shift.

RGV wrote: “Dhuroxic won’t be just another clash it’ll be a collision between truth and styling. And possibly something bigger. Dhuroxic could mark the beginning of the end of hero worship ushered in by the pan India biggies from the south Dhuroxic can be a defining moment in cinema where the audience stop becoming devotees , and scoff at bulletproof masculinity proving that they no longer want gods, but only relatable humans OR IT CAN BE VICE VERSA..THAT ONLY GOD and AUDIENCE WILL KNOW Let’s find out on MARCH 19th the Dhuroxic JUDGEMENT DAY.”

. #Dhuroxic on March 19th will be the ultimate clash between ultra realistic cinema and ultra unrealistic cinema D is built on cause , leading to effect and consequence. It reveals that violence has moral, psychological, and political foundations. The Characters act because they…

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) January 13, 2026

This isn’t the first time Ram Gopal Varma has publicly praised Dhurandhar. Recently, while lauding the film, he asserted that Ranveer Singh’s spy actioner has effectively challenged the dominance of South Indian cinema, proving that Bollywood is equally capable of delivering high-octane action spectacles. However, he also cautioned that it remains to be seen whether the industry can sustain this momentum.

“My first thought on Dhurandhar was that it has basically kicked out South Indian films. Although it’s yet to be seen, I’ll explain why I feel so. We are into hero elevation now. Except for the hero, no one else matters in a movie. We constantly use background score and make the audience worship the hero. Dhurandhar, however, does the exact opposite. It treats him like a character. He’s just one of the many characters. Many a time, I felt that Ranveer Singh had disappeared into the story and wasn’t leading it. On top of that, although he’s larger than life, so are every other character, including the villains,” RGV said during a conversation with Gulte Pro.