Netflix might not say it out loud, but it is hard to ignore what Dhurandhar: The Revenge is doing right now.
The film has crossed ₹1000 crore worldwide in just a week. It is breaking records and pulling massive audiences into theatres. This is exactly the kind of film that strengthens a platform’s catalogue for months after its theatrical run.
The first film, Dhurandhar, arrived on Netflix after theatres. It helped the platform tap into the film’s popularity and extend its reach. Naturally, the expectation would be that the sequel follows the same path.
But that has not happened.
Instead, the sequel is set to stream on JioHotstar. And that makes this a significant miss. When a film is performing at this scale, its digital rights are not just about views. They are about buzz as well as long-term value.
Yes, the cost of acquiring a film like this would have been extremely high. That cannot be ignored. But missing out on a record-breaking sequel also has its own cost.
For Netflix, this is not just about one film. It is about losing a moment. A film that is dominating theatres will eventually dominate streaming too.
And when it does, it will not be on Netflix.