Dhurandhar Raw and Undekha to Stream on Netflix India From May 22 as Ranveer Singh Spy Thriller Gets Uncut OTT Release

Netflix Drops the Uncut Version Just as India Anticipates the JioHotstar Premiere

In a surprise announcement on 21 May 2026, Netflix India confirmed that Dhurandhar Raw and Undekha, the uncut version of Ranveer Singh’s blockbuster spy thriller Dhurandhar: The Revenge, will begin streaming on the platform from 22 May. The announcement comes at a strategic moment, just two weeks before the film’s regular OTT premiere on JioHotstar, which is set for 4 June.

The Raw and Undekha version is expected to feature a less censored viewing experience with rawer dialogues, toned-down visual cuts, and unseen moments created exclusively for OTT audiences. Apart from Hindi, the film will also be available in Tamil and Telugu, expanding its reach across India’s multilingual audience base.

The move represents a calculated strategy by Netflix to capture audience attention during the gap between the film’s theatrical run and its competitor’s OTT premiere. By offering an exclusive uncut version, Netflix differentiates its offering from the standard theatrical cut that JioHotstar will stream, potentially driving new subscriptions from fans eager to see the uncensored content.

A Staggered Digital Rollout Across Platforms and Markets

Dhurandhar: The Revenge has had one of the most complex OTT release strategies in recent Bollywood history. The film first arrived on Netflix for US and Canada viewers on 14 May, approximately eight weeks after its theatrical debut in India. That international version was also billed as “raw and uncut,” offering overseas viewers the uncensored experience before Indian audiences.

Now, with the Indian Netflix release on 22 May and the JioHotstar premiere scheduled for 4 June, audiences will have access to two distinct versions of the film on two competing platforms. JioHotstar subscribers will also receive the film’s regular domestic cut from 5 June onwards, along with what the platform has described as additional bonus content.

This multi-platform, multi-version strategy reflects the evolving economics of Bollywood distribution, where streaming rights are increasingly carved up to maximise revenue across different windows and territories. Major films now generate substantial income from digital premieres, sometimes rivalling or exceeding their theatrical earnings, which gives producers leverage to negotiate complex deals with multiple streaming partners.

Dhurandhar’s Box Office and Cultural Impact

Dhurandhar: The Revenge was one of 2026’s biggest Bollywood releases, combining a high-octane spy narrative with Ranveer Singh’s trademark intensity. The film enjoyed a strong theatrical run in India, generating significant word-of-mouth buzz and performing well at the box office across all demographics. The franchise, which began with the original Dhurandhar, has established itself as one of Bollywood’s most commercially reliable series, combining action spectacle with a narrative complexity unusual for mainstream Hindi cinema.

The film’s director crafted a story that resonated with audiences by blending patriotic themes with slick international espionage setpieces. Critics noted that the theatrical cut felt slightly trimmed in places, leading to immediate speculation about an uncut version that would restore deleted sequences and rawer dialogue. Netflix’s announcement confirms what fans had been hoping for since the film’s theatrical release.

Singer Jasmine Sandlas, who performed one of the film’s chart-topping songs, recently made headlines herself when a barricade collapsed during her Dhurandhar concert performance in Dehradun, leading her to stop the show mid-performance to ensure audience safety. The incident underscored the franchise’s massive cultural footprint across India.

The Streaming Wars Intensify in India

The Dhurandhar release strategy highlights the intensifying competition in India’s OTT market, where Netflix, JioHotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar are battling for subscribers in the world’s most populous country. Major Bollywood film releases have become key weapons in this competition, with platforms paying hundreds of crores for exclusive or early-window streaming rights.

Netflix’s decision to release the uncut version ahead of JioHotstar’s premiere is a classic competitive move designed to pull subscribers before a rival platform can capitalise on the same content. For consumers, the competition is broadly positive, as it increases the variety and timeliness of available content. However, the fragmentation of viewing experiences across platforms can also create confusion about which version of a film is available where.

What Viewers Can Expect From the Uncut Version

While Netflix has not released a detailed comparison between the theatrical and uncut versions, industry sources suggest that the Raw and Undekha cut includes approximately 15 to 20 minutes of additional footage. This includes extended action sequences, dialogue that was toned down for theatrical certification, and at least one subplot that was trimmed from the cinema release due to runtime considerations.

The Indian entertainment industry has been increasingly embracing the concept of director’s cuts and uncut versions for OTT releases, recognising that streaming audiences often prefer longer, more detailed storytelling that theatrical runtime constraints do not allow. Films like Pushpa, KGF, and Animal have all released extended versions on streaming platforms to considerable commercial success.

Franchise Future and Sequel Speculation

The strong performance of Dhurandhar: The Revenge across theatrical and digital platforms has fuelled speculation about a third instalment in the franchise. While no official announcement has been made, Ranveer Singh has hinted in interviews that the story has “much more to tell,” and the film’s ending leaves clear room for continuation. The franchise’s ability to generate revenue across multiple distribution windows makes it an attractive prospect for producers, and industry insiders expect a formal sequel announcement before the end of 2026.

For now, Indian audiences can look forward to experiencing the uncut version starting 22 May on Netflix, with the standard JioHotstar premiere following in June. The staggered release ensures that Dhurandhar fever will continue to dominate entertainment conversations for weeks to come.

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