- Aditya Dhar praised casting director Mukesh Chhabra for his crucial role in Dhurandhar 2's success
- Mukesh Chhabra was one of the first heads of department to join the Dhurandhar films
- Casting for a multistarrer like Dhurandhar with actors like Ranveer Singh was highly challenging
With Dhurandhar 2 on a record-breaking spree, director Aditya Dhar is ensuring that all heads of department who worked on the film behind the camera get their moment in the sun. After praising cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha, editor Shivkumar Panicker, and composer Shashwat Sachdev on social media, the filmmaker has thanked casting director Mukesh Chhabra.
In a lengthy X post, Aditya Dhar praised Mukesh Chhabra for his "fearless" spirit and building the world of the Dhurandhar films "brick by brick", adding casting can make a film or break it.
As a casting director, by the very definition, Mukesh Chhabra was one of the first one HODs to board the Dhurandhar movies.
"Here's to Mukesh Chhabra, the man who saw Dhurandhar long before I truly did. There are people who come into a film and do their job and then there are people who quietly reshape the film itself. Mukesh was the latter.
"From the very first narration, he believed in the scale, the ambition, the sheer possibility of Dhurandhar far more than I did. Where I was cautious, he was fearless. When I was thinking within limits, he pushed me to think bigger, not just in numbers, but in depth, in detail, in truth," Aditya Dhar wrote in his post.
Here's to Mukesh Chhabra, the man who saw Dhurandhar long before I truly did.
— Aditya Dhar (@AdityaDharFilms) April 8, 2026
There are people who come into a film and do their job and then there are people who quietly reshape the film itself. Mukesh was the latter.
From the very first narration, he believed in the scale, the… pic.twitter.com/UVNGbyaYA3
The casting of a sprawling multistarrer like Dhurandhar, featuring Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt, was never going to be easy.
"The sheer number of actors, the range of characters, the responsibility of getting every single face right, it was overwhelming. But Mukesh and his team just went all guns blazing. My only brief to them was simple: bring me great actors, new or old, big or small, it doesn't matter. And he turned that into a mission.
"What followed were endless days and nights, sitting together, breaking down every character, debating, exploring, rejecting, discovering. Conversations that didn't feel like work but like building something brick by brick with absolute honesty."
Aditya Dhar acknowledged Mukesh Chhabra for "finding people who belonged" in Dhurandhar 2.
"Even for the smallest part, he went just as deep, just as far, making sure every person on screen felt real, lived-in, and true to the world.
"But beyond the craft, what I found in him was something even more rare, a friend, a well-wisher, a brother. Someone who stood by the film with complete faith, even when mine wavered," he added.
In the end, the director made a case for elevating casting directors.
"I truly hope this film makes people realise the power of casting is one of the most crucial, yet often overlooked aspects of filmmaking. It can make a film or break it.
"And it's unfortunate that our industry still doesn't celebrate casting directors the way it should. This film carries your choices in every single frame Mukesh! Endless gratitude, respect and love for you."
In a previous interview with NDTV, Mukesh Chhabra detailed the lengthy and descriptive casting process for Dhurandhar 2.
"I know Aditya personally, and I understand what he wants. For every character, I spent almost three months just thinking before we even began casting. The script was so well written that it took me two to three days just to figure out where to start," he said.
"Every small role was difficult. Because you're trying to match faces so precisely, even the smallest parts matter," he added.
The Dhurandhar franchise also stars Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, and Danish Pandor.
Also Read | 2 Years, 1 Dhurandhar Cast: How Mukesh Chhabra Got Akshaye Khanna And R Madhavan For Aditya Dhar
