Dhurandhar was released in theatres on December 5, 2025, and, since its release, has been receiving rave reviews for its storyline, casting, and more. Recently, in an interview with a media portal, the film's casting director, Mukesh Chhabra, shared some details about the casting.
The film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Arjun Rampal in key roles.
What Mukesh Chhabra Said About Dhurandhar Casting
Talking to India Today, Mukesh Chhabra said Ranveer was already on board when he joined the team and stated, "Ranveer Singh was already onboard when I came in."
Sharing details about the initial difficulties he faced regarding the casting, Mukesh said, "Once you have one big star, it becomes impossible to get more stars. That's just how the Mumbai film industry works."
"It didn't matter whether it was Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Akshaye Khanna or R Madhavan. Even the smallest casting idea was done meticulously," added the casting director.
Mukesh revealed that he had big plans for the film's casting - ideas so bold that director Aditya Dhar told him he was going "crazy." One of those ideas was bringing Akshaye Khanna on board, an actor known for being highly selective about his roles. Akshaye played the role of Rehman Dakait in the film.
"I said, Akshaye paaji will do it," Mukesh recalled. "And then we all jumped on it." At first, even the team doubted whether Khanna would agree to join the project.
Recalling his first interaction with Akshaye, Mukesh said, "I honestly hadn't watched Chhaava then. But I called him. Unhone pehle mujhe daanta. He said, 'Paagal ho gaya hai kya?' I asked him to at least hear me out once."
"I asked him to come to the office. He said, 'Main toh yahan rehta hi nahi hoon. Bol kahan aana hai?'" added Mukesh.
Revealing how the meeting went with Akshaye, Mukesh said, "He came and sat for four hours. He quietly listened. He kept smoking. When we finished, he said, 'F**k, it's very good.' Then he said, 'Well done, yaar. Bada maza aayega.'"
After some time, it was Akshaye who called him back and confirmed he would be part of the film. "He called me and said, 'Let's do it, bro.'"
About Dhurandhar
The makers have also announced its sequel, scheduled to release on March 19, 2026, in five languages - Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Dhurandhar continues its strong run at the box office. On January 1, which marked the film's 28th day in theatres, it collected Rs 17.60 crore, according to Jio Studios. With this, the film's total earnings have reached Rs 784.50 crore.
Also Read: Weekend Binge: Before Dhurandhar, Akshaye Khanna Played Villain In These 5 Films
