Dhurandhar's Director Aditya Dhar Once Revealed Struggling With Dyslexia: Said, 'Reading Few Pages Would Take Me Days'

Aditya Dhar is having a blockbuster year, but the road to this moment has been anything but easy. As Dhurandhar storms past the Rs 850 crore mark worldwide to become the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, renewed attention has turned to the filmmaker’s deeply inspiring personal journey.

With Dhurandhar, headlined by Ranveer Singh, Aditya Dhar has cemented his position as one of the most bankable directors in Indian cinema today. The film’s massive global earnings and strong word-of-mouth have placed Dhar firmly at the top of the industry this year. However, behind this success lies a story shaped by perseverance, self-belief, and resilience.

Living with Dyslexia

Few are aware that Aditya Dhar has lived with severe dyslexia. In an earlier interview with the Screenwriters Association, he candidly spoke about how reading was, and still is, a challenge for him. He revealed that even today, reading a few pages can take him an entire day.

In a 2019 interaction with Robin Bhatt for the Screenwriters Association, Aditya Dhar spoke candidly about his struggles, saying, “I shouldn't have been here. It's a miracle I'm here.” He revealed that he was “severely dyslexic” and unable to read for a long time, adding that even today, “if I have to read, it takes me almost a whole day to read 2–3 pages.”

A debut that took years to materialise

Aditya Dhar’s journey to the director’s chair was marked by repeated delays. His debut, initially planned for 2013, did not materialise. Another attempt in 2016 also fell through, and it was only in 2019 that he finally made his directorial debut.

One of the key reasons behind this prolonged struggle, according to Dhar, was repeated betrayal within the industry. He has openly spoken about losing scripts to others, who later went on to make commercially successful films using similar ideas. These setbacks pushed him to the brink of quitting multiple times.

What is Dyslexia?

According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty with reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words. Reflecting on his childhood, Dhar admitted he was “academically weak,” but said his strong inclination towards dramatics eventually became his biggest strength.

Aditya Dhar’s fortunes finally changed with Uri: The Surgical Strike. Released in 2019 and starring Vicky Kaushal, the film struck a chord with audiences nationwide. It became a major box office success and won four National Awards, including Best Director and Best Actor.