Kamal Ghorui
The sequel to Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster franchise, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, finally arrived in theatres on March 19 and has been generating significant buzz ever since. Headlined by Ranveer Singh, the film has not only impressed audiences but also sparked curiosity about its extensive casting process. In a recent interview, casting director Mukesh Chhabra shared insights into how the film came together, including the surprising fact that several actors declined the now-popular role of Rehmaan Dakait, eventually portrayed by Akshaye Khanna.Mukesh recalled being deeply impacted when he first heard the script. He said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, “I was narrated the story for four hours. After that, I was in shock. I didn’t even move or take a break. We didn’t even realise when the time passed away. I got scared initially, even after casting for so many films in the past. I had to find so many characters, newer faces, it was a big film.”He went on to describe the massive scale of the casting effort, revealing that nearly 400 roles had to be filled across both parts of the film. “If I combine both the parts, I had to do the casting of around 400 people. I made a team of six people and started the search. Aditya gave me full freedom and asked me to think as big as I can. He wanted to surprise people. He already believed that this film will break all the records and all the roles will get a lot of love.”Mukesh also shared that Ranveer Singh was always the first and most certain choice for the lead role of Hamza. “During the process, many people said no to different roles, but Aditya was calm and asked me to find other actors. It took us almost two years to do the research and cast the actors. We started in the beginning of 2024. We were always clear that Ranveer Singh will be cast as Hamza. He agreed instantly because he was also waiting for the right film.”When asked about casting the antagonist, Mukesh revealed that a few actors had turned down the role before Akshaye Khanna stepped in. “I can’t take any names but 2-3 actors had said no for his role. I am sure they are regretting that decision today. An actor from South and two from Bollywood gave very weird logic. They said that this is an ensemble cast and its actually Ranveer’s film, but Aditya moves on from negative thoughts quickly.”He also opened up about casting Sara Arjun as Yalina Jamali, a role that drew significant interest from actors across the industry. “Aditya and me both were being approached for the role. I told him that we would need someone who doesn’t have any old baggage, so a completely new face would work better. Everyone should believe that this is Yalina only. I wanted to cast for the character and keep it a surprise. We did over 1000 auditions for her role,” he concluded.Meanwhile, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has already crossed ₹1500 crore at the global box office. Apart from Ranveer Singh, the film also features Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor, and Sara Arjun in key roles.
