'Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt Were Hesitant To Join Dhurandhar, Only Madhavan Said Yes Instantly': Mukesh Chhabra

"Madhavan and Arjun were on the set of the film only for 12 days. Most actors usually worry about how much screen time they will get," Mukesh Chhabra said

28 Mar 2026, 03:56 · NDTV

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Casting director Mukesh Chhabra revealed established actors hesitated before joining Dhurandhar
Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and Akshaye Khanna were initially unsure about the film
R Madhavan was the only actor who accepted the role immediately

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Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that several established actors were initially unsure about joining Dhurandhar, despite the film eventually boasting a star-studded ensemble.

What's Happening

Speaking about the casting process for Aditya Dhar's directorial, Chhabra, in an interview with Hindustan Times, shared that actors like Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna took time before coming on board.
In contrast, R Madhavan was the only one who agreed immediately.
He said, "Initially, even Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna were not sure about being a part of the film. Only R Madhavan said yes. For the others, it took time. Aditya and I were considering so many people, and honestly, earlier, we had never thought we would cast so many big stars."
Chhabra further opened up about why actors may hesitate to take on such roles, pointing to concerns around screen time. He explained that the team focused on the impact of characters rather than their duration in the film.
"Madhavan and Arjun were on the set of the film only for 12 days. Most actors usually worry about how much screen time they will get. We said that here, the impact is what matters. If you look at Madhavan's part, with only 12 to 14 days of work, the impact of the role is huge."

Background

Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the sequel to the 2025 film, has now been released in multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Headlined by Ranveer Singh, the film also features Sara Arjun, Danish Pandor and Rakesh Bedi in key roles.

Backed by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, the espionage thriller continues the story established in Dhurandhar.

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