Did Kartik Aaryan take a subtle dig at Dhurandhar with “madness of hypermasculinity” post?

Kartik Aaryan’s Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, co-starring Ananya Panday, has struggled to make an impact at the box office since its Christmas release. The film faced tough competition from Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, which continues to perform strongly, crossing Rs 1,064 crore worldwide by its fourth Sunday, December 28.

Amid this, a recent social media post by Kartik has drawn attention. Screenplay writer Saurabh Bharat praised Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, writing, “It’s so heartwarming to see that amidst the madness of hypermasculinity and testosterone-boasting action films, someone is making a breezing progressive film. Congratulations. For building a genre of cinema which entertains yet pushes an envelope deep in the society.” Kartik re-shared the post with a red heart emoji, prompting speculation that it could be a subtle dig at Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar.

Dhurandhar has proven to be a massive box office success. On Sunday alone, it earned over Rs 30 crore worldwide, benefiting from strong attendance in India and solid overseas numbers during the Christmas period. International markets have contributed significantly, with the film earning over $26 million abroad. This helped Dhurandhar surpass the lifetime collections of Pathaan and Kalki 2898 AD, making it the seventh-highest-grossing Indian film globally.

Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday’s film has struggled to maintain momentum. Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri earned Rs 4.97 crore on Sunday, a significant drop from its opening day collection of Rs 7.75 crore. The film’s current total box office revenue stands at Rs 23.47 crore.

Produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, alongside Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Bhumika Tewari, and Namah Pictures’ Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora, the film is directed by Sameer Vidwans, known for his work on Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023).

While Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri attempts a fresh take on romance in contrast to the action-driven narratives dominating screens, the film’s underwhelming performance highlights the challenge of competing with large-scale blockbusters like Dhurandhar, which continues to set new records and draw audiences worldwide.

Kartik’s social media post has stirred curiosity, but the focus remains on the box office race between a progressive romantic film and a high-octane action entertainer.