These days, Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2 has taken the internet by storm. Helmed by Aditya Dhar and released on March 19, the spy thriller has become the highest-grossing film of 2026, earning Rs 1,068 crore in India. Despite the film being released 24 days ago, it continues to rake in revenue at the box office. While Dhurandhar 2 has already proved itself to the audience, Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana, which is helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, is also one of the most anticipated projects of 2026. The mega-budget film recently offered a sneak peek into its mythological world, leaving fans excited. This brings us to a filmmaker who masterfully straddled two distinct genres—the powerful spy thriller and the timeless religious epic. While these films are making headlines today, do you know that 58 years ago, Indian cinema had its biggest blockbuster spy thriller featuring none other than the late iconic star Dharmendra? Yes, that’s correct! Scroll down to read more about it.
Dharmendra’s biggest spy-thriller film
Dharmendra, who was known as the He-Man of Bollywood, was once a part of a film that became the highest-grosser of the year. Yes, we are talking about the superhit film Aankhen.
Released in 1968, Aankhen was directed by none other than the very famous filmmaker Ramanand Sagar. He is the same man who gave Indian television its most iconic serial—Ramayan.
But long before he brought gods to the small screen, he gave Indian cinema one of its finest spy thrillers. That brilliant, ambitious spy film was Aankhen, starring a young, dashing Dharmendra. Interestingly, it was released in 1968, the same year that India’s external intelligence agency, RAW, was formed.
What was the budget of Aankhen?
It is said that Aankhen was made on a huge budget. Back in the late ’60s, when a director invested a lot of money in a film, it was always considered a big gamble. However, this time, the gamble paid off, as Aankhen went on to become a massive commercial hit.
Do you know the film had a widespread production, with some of its scenes shot in Japan and Lebanon? Apart from Dharmendra, the movie also starred Mala Sinha, and Mehmood played key roles in the film.
Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan
Coming to the iconic TV serial Ramayan, two decades after Aankhen, Ramanand Sagar created Ramayan, a show that changed Indian television forever. Despite outdated technology and simple visuals, his storytelling style left such an impact that even Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Rs 4,000 crore film is being compared to Sagar’s version.
