Dhurandhar continues to dominate the box office after a month of its release. While Akshaye Khanna's portrayal of Rehman Dakait has earned acclaim, co-star Naveen Kaushik believes the spotlight has unfairly shifted away from Ranveer Singh.
In a recent chat with Siddharth Kannan, Naveen reflected on the contrasting working styles of the film's two leading men and why Ranveer's craft deserves greater appreciation.
Akshaye Khanna Stayed In Character Off Screen
Naveen, who played Rehman Dakait's close aide, revealed that Akshaye maintained a deliberate distance on set - a trait that mirrored his on-screen persona.
"On set, Ranveer Singh always treated us like friends. Akshaye Khanna, on the other hand, maintained a certain distance, mostly because he was deeply invested in his character," he shared.
He added that the film's gang dynamic was visible even when the cameras were not rolling. "Interestingly, the on-screen dynamic translated into real life as well. You'd see all the gang members sitting together, laughing and having fun, while Rehman Dakait would sit a little apart. That's how it was throughout the shoot," the actor said.
Clarifying that Akshaye was never aloof in a negative sense, Naveen said, "If we went up to him for a conversation, he would speak very warmly. But once the conversation ended, he would retreat back into his space-and so would we. I don't know if it was method acting, but just like Rehman Dakait, who stays quiet, observes, and remains unpredictable, Akshaye sir was quite similar in real life. He stayed away from the chaos on set and focused solely on his character."
Ranveer Singh's Behaviour On The Set
Speaking about Ranveer, Naveen highlighted how different the actor was from his restrained character Hamza.
"Hamza is completely different from Ranveer. Ranveer is a ball of energy. Whenever he's on set, he greets everyone. He doesn't like people sitting around lazily," he said.
He also praised Ranveer's discipline between takes. "These two characters-Hamza and Rehman-are poles apart. Every time the director said 'cut', Ranveer would instantly switch back to being himself, unless it was a very serious scene. He had a child-like curiosity throughout, with absolutely no 'I am a huge star' tantrums," the actor added.
Ranveer Did Not Get His Due
Despite admiring Akshaye's work, Naveen strongly feels Ranveer's effort was overlooked.
"I do feel it's unfair. Akshaye sir has undoubtedly created an iconic character that will be remembered for years. But what Ranveer has done as an actor-the tiny nuances, his voice modulation-for someone so energetic in real life to suppress all of that and play the complete opposite, it's extremely difficult," Naveen said.
He cited the much-discussed FA9LA sequence as an example. "In the famous FA9LA song, everyone in the scene is dancing-except Ranveer Singh. To restrain yourself in a moment like that is incredibly hard," the actor said.
Naveen concluded by pointing out Ranveer's lack of insecurity. "Ranveer's character is deliberately underplayed. He doesn't seek attention. In the film, the first man in command is Akshaye, followed by Danish. If Ranveer had ego issues, he could have easily tried to draw focus to himself, but he didn't. An insecure actor would have done that. Ranveer stayed true to his character and allowed someone else to shine," he concluded.
While Dhurandhar continues to draw audiences in theaters, its sequel is scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.
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