Taapsee Pannu‘s latest Netflix film Gandhari has claimed the number one spot on the platform’s global non-English films chart, even as critics continue to pan the action-thriller. The film, which premiered on September 3, 2026, has now recorded 9.6 million views and 18.7 million viewing hours in its second week, according to Netflix’s official data. Pannu took to social media to celebrate the milestone while also addressing the wave of negative reviews with a sharp, lemonade-themed response.
Gandhari Becomes Netflix’s Most Watched Non English Film
Netflix’s analytics site Tudum confirms that Gandhari is the most-watched non-English film on the platform globally for the week of September 7 to 13, 2026. The film beat out competition from titles like Facing El Chapo and the Danish film The Secret Woman to secure the top position. According to Netflix’s website, Gandhari has held the No. 1 position in 58 countries since its release two weeks ago.
The film’s viewership jump from week one to week two is notable. It opened with 5.9 million views and 11.5 million viewing hours, landing at No. 3 on the global non-English chart in its debut week. By week two, those numbers climbed to 9.6 million views and 18.7 million viewing hours, marking the highest single-week viewership for an Indian Netflix Original film so far.
What Taapsee Pannu Said About the Negative Reviews
Taapsee Pannu did not stay silent about the mixed-to-negative critical reception. Sharing a screenshot of Gandhari topping Netflix’s non-English movies chart on X, she wrote, “#Gandhari when numbers speak”. She then reshared a post claiming the film had topped the chart despite being “trashed by everyone.” Her response was direct:
“Not ‘everyone’ I guess. When you throw lemons, we make lemonade. Cheers!”
The actor’s remark highlights the gap between the film’s critical drubbing and its strong audience traction on the streaming platform.
What Gandhari Is About and Who Stars in It
Gandhari follows Bani, played by Taapsee Pannu, a mother whose five-year-old daughter Mishty is abducted from a railway station in the fictional border town of Joypurra. After a horrific accident during her pursuit leaves her temporarily blind, Bani decides to use her blindness to her advantage, secretly training her other senses and investigating a child-trafficking network known as Blackhole.
The film is directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon. The cast includes Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht, and Jatin Sarna in pivotal roles. The title draws from the Mahabharata character Gandhari, reworking the symbolism of blindness into a story of resilience and revenge. This marks the third collaboration between Pannu and Dhillon, following Haseen Dillruba (2021) and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (2024).
Critics Were Not Kind to Gandhari
Reviews for Gandhari were largely negative. The Hindu described it as a film where “an intriguing premise gets lost in the maze of underdeveloped ideas and erratic execution”. Hindustan Times gave the film 2.5 stars, noting that “the plot has more than its share of loopholes”. Outlook India called it “an exhausting thriller that treats a devastating subject with far too much melodrama”.
The Quint labeled it a “tonal mess that’s lost between gritty crime thriller and heightened action flick”. India Today wrote that “the most compelling thing about Gandhari is the performance trying to rescue it”.
Other Indian Films on Netflix’s Global Chart
Gandhari is not the only Indian film performing well on Netflix’s global non-English chart. Suriya‘s Vishwanath & Sons has entered the Top 10 and currently stands at No. 3. Other Indian titles on the list include Ajay Devgn‘s Dhamaal 4 at No. 5, R Madhavan‘s GDN at No. 6, and Alia Bhatt and Sharvari‘s Alpha at No. 9.
Where to Watch Gandhari
Gandhari is available to stream globally on Netflix. The film premiered on September 3, 2026, and is accessible to subscribers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and all other regions where Netflix operates. The film is a Hindi-language action-thriller with a runtime that fits the standard Netflix Original film format.
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Kanika Dhillon and Taapsee Pannu’s Creative Partnership
Writer-producer Kanika Dhillon spoke about the film before its release. In a statement, she said, “With Gandhari, we wanted to tell the story of a woman who refuses to be defined by her circumstances. Bani’s journey is raw, relentless and deeply personal”. Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India, added that the streamer was “delighted to reunite with Taapsee Pannu and Kanika Dhillon” for the project.
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