‘Actors kept saying no’: Dhurandhar 2’s casting director shares what happened after Akshaye Khanna’s role became a hit

Dhurandhar: The Revenge, led by Ranveer Singh, has ticked off all the right boxes at the ticket window, earning praise from fans and critics alike. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar of Uri fame, premiered in the theatres on March 19. In the first part of the spy-action thriller, Akshaye Khanna’s stint as the merciless villain Rehman Dakait received the same amount of love as Ranveer’s Jaskirat Singh Rangi aka Hamza Ali Mazari. But do you know that initially, no actor was ready to play the part, not even Akshaye himself?

Dhurandhar and Dhrandhar 2’s casting director, Mukesh Chhabra, came up with the revelation. The 45-year-old, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, shared that even though several stars rejected the role of Rehman Dakait, the tables turned when the character turned out to be a hit.

Actors were sceptical about playing Akshaye Khanna’s Rehman Dakait

As per Mukesh Chhabra, he and his team were discussing the names of multiple actors who would do justice to Rehman Dakait’s role, but everyone refused to slip into the shoes of the dreaded Baloch leader, because they did not want to be a part of an ensemble film. Recalling the casting struggle, Mukesh stated that sometimes you do not need to create a special look for an actor, highlighting how a natural fit is sometimes better than a cosmetic transformation.

After Akshaye Khanna stole the show as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar, the same actors who once declined the part called up Mukesh Chhabra, admitting that they regretted their decision, claimed the casting director.



Rehman Dakait’s popularity stemmed from the viral clips that circulated on social media even before Dhurandhar’s release. It captured the feared leader, breaking into an impromptu dance on the Bahraini party track FA9LA. Akshaye’s charisma won hearts and even the song, sung by Gulf-rapped Flipparachi, became an instant earworm.

More about Dhurandhar’s casting process

Coming back to Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director revealed that after he approached Akshaye Khanna with the role, the actor instantly asked him, ‘Are you mad?’ But after Akshaye heard the narration, his perspective changed. Not only did he laud the script as ‘fantastic’, but he also confirmed to be a part of the movie within a day.

It was a similar situation with R Madhavan, who essayed the role of Ajay Sanyal, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2. The actor came on board almost instantly after Mukesh Chhabra assured him that they needed only 10-12 days from his work schedule. Madhavan was shooting for De De Pyaar De 2 at that time.

Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 has so far minted Rs 575 crore at the box office.