Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ created a stir in Jammu and Kashmir, houseful crowd came to watch it.

Aditya Dhar’s spy action thriller **Dhurandhar**, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, has recorded houseful shows in several centers across Jammu and Kashmir, including smaller towns like Shopian and Pulwama, where theater screenings have historically been limited.

This strong turnout reflects the renewed interest in cinema viewing in the region, especially in areas where there are no traditional multiplexes. **Sitara** has a big role in this success, which is a cinema chain running small theaters of 100-150 seats in Jammu and Kashmir.

These small theaters provide an affordable and readily available option, allowing local audiences to experience the big screen close to their homes. Even in cities without large multiplex infrastructure, Dhurandhar has consistently maintained good occupancy, highlighting the potential of tailor-made, low-cost models in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.

Trade experts say such initiatives address long-standing shortcomings in India’s low-screen exhibition sector, where multiplex expansion has often prioritized premium prices and larger cinemas, sometimes at the expense of occupancy in non-metropolitan areas.

Rahul Nehra, Managing Director, Sitara Plex, said: “Our focus has been on building right-sized cinemas for smaller markets. The overwhelming response to the movies in cities like Shopian and Pulwama further reinforces that audiences will flock to theaters when the experience is affordable, easily accessible and close to home.”

The film, released on December 5, 2025, stars Akshay Khanna, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Rampal—has emerged as a big box office hit, indicating a wider revival trend in viewership in regional cinema.