Dhurandhar may be fronted by Ranveer Singh, but it is Akshaye Khanna who has emerged as the film’s most talked-about performer. In a film packed with seasoned actors like Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Rakesh Bedi, Khanna’s restrained yet menacing turn as Rehman Dakait has stood out.
“Ranveer Singh was already onboard, so getting more stars was impossible”
In a recent interaction, Dhurandhar’s casting director Mukesh Chhabra opened up about the film’s exhaustive casting process, revealing that it took up nearly a year of his life. Speaking to India Today, Mukesh shared that Ranveer Singh was already locked in when he joined the project.
“Ranveer Singh was already onboard when I came in,” Mukesh said, adding that this made casting more stars challenging. “Once you have one big star, it becomes impossible to get more stars. That’s just how the Mumbai film industry works.”He stressed that despite this limitation, every casting decision was approached with precision. “It didn’t matter whether it was Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Akshaye Khanna or R Madhavan. Even the smallest casting idea was done meticulously.”
“Aditya Dhar thought I had gone mad”
Mukesh admitted he had ambitious ideas for the cast—ideas that initially made director Aditya Dhar question his sanity. One such idea was casting Akshaye Khanna, known for being extremely selective with his roles.“I said, Akshaye paaji will do it,” Mukesh recalled. “And then we all jumped on it.” At the time, even the makers were sceptical that Khanna would agree to the project.
“Unhone pehle mujhe daanta”
Recalling his first conversation with Akshaye Khanna, Mukesh revealed it didn’t exactly go smoothly. “I honestly hadn’t watched Chhaava then. But I called him,” he said. “Unhone pehle mujhe daanta. He said, ‘Paagal ho gaya hai kya?’ I asked him to at least hear me out once.”Persistence paid off, and Akshaye eventually agreed to meet Mukesh and director Aditya Dhar. “I asked him to come to the office. He said, ‘Main toh yahan rehta hi nahi hoon. Bol kahan aana hai?’”
“F**k, it’s very good”: The moment Akshaye said yes
Mukesh described the meeting as intense yet quietly reassuring. “He came and sat for four hours. He quietly listened. He kept smoking,” he said. “When we finished, he said, ‘F**k, it’s very good.’ Then he said, ‘Well done, yaar. Bada maza aayega.’”Despite the encouraging response, the makers remained anxious for a few days. Their doubts were finally put to rest when Akshaye made the call himself. “He called me and said, ‘Let’s do it, bro,’” Mukesh shared.
What’s next for Akshaye Khanna
Following Dhurandhar’s success, Akshaye Khanna has already moved on to his next venture. The actor is set to make his Telugu debut with Mahakali, part of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU), which also includes HanuMan, Jai Hanuman and Adhira. Director Puja Kolluru recently shared behind-the-scenes photos with Akshaye from the sets, including a sunny selfie of the two smiling at the camera. The makers had earlier unveiled Akshaye’s look as Shukracharya.
Drishyam 3 controversy
Akshaye also recently made headlines for exiting Drishyam 3 just days before Dhurandhar’s release. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak slammed the actor for what he called an “unprofessional” and “toxic” exit, even sending a legal notice after Akshaye allegedly quit abruptly over creative differences—reportedly linked to wearing a wig for his character, IG Tarun Ahlawat.While reports suggested that Jaideep Ahlawat would replace Akshaye in Drishyam 3, director Abhishek Pathak later clarified to Bombay Times that Jaideep is not replacing Khanna but will instead be playing a newly written character.
