Kamal Ghorui
Ashwin Dhar, who portrayed Arshad Pappu in the ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise, has been receiving widespread appreciation for his performance. He found himself in an unusual yet flattering spotlight as meme pages began comparing his look from the film to Shah Rukh Khan’s appearance at the Met Gala. The actor has now responded to these comparisons.Social media has been buzzing with posts drawing parallels between Shah Rukh’s Met Gala look and Ashwin’s on-screen appearance in Dhurandhar. Reacting to this during an interview with Filmygyan, Dhar shared, “For me, it is such an overwhelming experience. When you are compared with Shah Rukh Khan, whether it is looks or costume, but you are shown alongside Shah Rukh Khan, that itself means a lot.”
He went on to express his admiration for the superstar, adding, “Shah Rukh Khan is more than an actor. Personally, he is a very good human being. To become such a big actor is not an ordinary thing. When you are connected with such a superstar from our industry in a film, it is a big compliment.”Recalling one particular meme that suggested Shah Rukh Khan should be cast as Arshad Pappu, Ashwin said, “That means it is a big compliment, and I am really enjoying this. I am having a lot of fun with it.”Dhurandhar 2 features a star-studded ensemble including Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, and Saumya Tandon, among others. The film has been on a record-breaking spree since its release, following the massive success of its 2025 predecessor.The sequel has not only dominated the box office but also set multiple milestones, including the biggest Hindi opening ever, record-breaking first and second-week collections, the highest opening weekend worldwide, and the fastest film to cross the ₹1,000 crore mark. It has also earned praise from leading names in the industry such as S. S. Rajamouli, Rajinikanth, Vijay Deverakonda, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Ram Gopal Varma, Shankar, Shiva Rajkumar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, and Karan Johar, among many others, who have applauded the film and its team.
