3 Actors Rejected Dhurandhar Role, says Casting Director

NDTV | April 4, 2026 | 10:47 AM IST | Breaking News, Entertainment | Follow on Google News

3 Actors Rejected Dhurandhar Role, says Casting Director

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge has emerged as one of the biggest theatrical successes of the year since its release on March 19.

While the Ranveer Singh-led spy thriller continues to dominate the box office globally, new insights into its casting process have now come to light.

What’s Happening

In a recent interaction with Bollywood Hungama, casting director Mukesh Chhabra spoke about the scale and challenges of assembling the film’s ensemble cast.

Recalling his first reaction to the script, he said, “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.”

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He explained that the film demanded extensive groundwork, given its expansive narrative and large number of characters.

He shared, “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.”

“Ranveer Was Always The First Choice For Hamza”

According to Chhabra, Ranveer Singh was always the first and only choice for the lead role.

He shared, “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.”

“2-3 Actors Said No To Akshaye Khanna’s Role”

One of the more surprising revelations was about the antagonist Rehmaan Dakait, eventually portrayed by Akshaye Khanna. Chhabra shared that several actors had declined the role before Khanna came on board.

“I can’t take any names, but 2-3 actors had said no to his role. I am sure they regret 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.”

“Did Over 1000 Auditions For Yalina’s Role”

The casting of Yalina Jamali, played by Sara Arjun, also involved an extensive search. Chhabra revealed that many actors had reached out for the role. “Aditya and I 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.

Background

Apart from Ranveer Singh, the film features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Danish Pandor.

With its massive scale, extensive casting process, and strong audience response, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has already crossed Rs 1500 crore worldwide, cementing its place as a major box office success.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by VoM News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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