Veteran actor Jackie Shroff has praised the recent blockbuster Dhurandhar, calling it a validation of the ‘craze’ for cinema and films in India, while also claiming its success proves people still want to go to the theatres. The actor did lament the shrinking of theatres, particularly single screens, across India.
In an interview with ANI, Jackie Shroff spoke about the state of theatres in the country. “Theatres have become a game of brick and mortar. They are building small buildings. They reduced the seating capacity of cinemas from 1000 seats to 200, and the rest are being used in the mall. Maratha Mandir is still there. Regal is still there. Eros is still there. Maratha Mandir is the biggest example. It is a respectable cinema hall in Maharashtra. Small theatres have started coming,” said Jackie Shroff.
‘Dhurandhar will remain Dhurandhar’
However, the actor cautioned against critcising OTT for theatres’ perceived downfall, saying it has both ‘good and bad’ aspects. Reflecting on the low footfall in theatres for most movies in recent years, Jackie said that the craze for films remains, as evident by the success of Dhurandhar.
“At that time, only 3 out of 10 movies (in theatres) worked. At that time, not all 10 out of 10 movies worked. We have also gone through the same phase. If Rangeela was shown on big screens, no other movie would have worked. 3 out of 10 movies have been shown and used to work, a maximum of 4 movies. The same trend is still there. 10 movies are shown in which only three work. Now things have opened up. There is more exposure. People are making their own movies, but the craze for the film remains the same, which Dhurandhar has proved. You can put it anywhere. On OTT or anywhere else. Dhurandar will remain Dhurandar. Animal will remain Animal. People still go to the theatre and shout and dance,” the actor added.
{{/usCountry}}“At that time, only 3 out of 10 movies (in theatres) worked. At that time, not all 10 out of 10 movies worked. We have also gone through the same phase. If Rangeela was shown on big screens, no other movie would have worked. 3 out of 10 movies have been shown and used to work, a maximum of 4 movies. The same trend is still there. 10 movies are shown in which only three work. Now things have opened up. There is more exposure. People are making their own movies, but the craze for the film remains the same, which Dhurandhar has proved. You can put it anywhere. On OTT or anywhere else. Dhurandar will remain Dhurandar. Animal will remain Animal. People still go to the theatre and shout and dance,” the actor added.
{{/usCountry}}Dhurandhar was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, earning ₹1300 crore worldwide. It has also set numerous box office records for Bollywood films. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, stars Ranveer Singh in the lead, alongside Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt.
Jackie Shroff's recent film
Jackie Shroff was last seen on the big screen in Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, co-starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday. The film opened in theatres on December 25, 2025, but had a disappointing run.
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