Filmmaker Aditya Dhar ’s fearless approach to storytelling is earning praise from his former mentor Priyadarshan , especially as Dhurandhar 2 continues its record-breaking run. Speaking about Dhar’s conviction, Priyadarshan highlighted how the director has managed to challenge conventional industry formulas.



“Some people have guts. I’ve seen both kinds of people. One is Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who made Animal, and another is Aditya Dhar. I asked them, ‘What gives you the confidence to work on a four-hour film?’ They said, ‘It will work, sir.’ It’s against all the theory of a hit film. No producer will ever allow you to make a four-hour film, but the conviction of the director is the ultimate thing,” he told India Today.



‘He learned on his own’Reflecting on Dhar’s journey from assistant to director, Priyadarshan was candid about how the filmmaker evolved during his early years working on films like Aakrosh and Tezz.



“I never taught Aditya anything, but he learned. That is the only way we can make films. I never went to any school, I just watched films and learned from masters. In the same way, Aditya... I don’t know if I taught him anything, but by being with me, he learned by himself,” he shared.



In a rare moment of humility, Priyadarshan added, “He did things better than me, and that’s how Dhurandhar happened.”