Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar role was rejected by 3 actors. Casting director reveals the 'weird logic' given by them

The success of Dhurandhar: The Revenge has brought a lot of attention not just to its performances but also to what went on behind the scenes before the film even started shooting. Now, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has shared some details that explain how things didn’t exactly fall into place easily at first. One of the most talked-about characters in the film is Rehman Dakait, played by Akshaye Khanna. But as it turns out, he wasn’t the first choice. In fact, the role had been turned down by three actors before it finally reached him.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Mukesh Chhabra said, “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.”

The reason given by those actors, as he described, was that the film revolved largely around Ranveer Singh’s character, and they were unsure about being part of a multi-actor setup. At that point, the team had to move on and look for someone else.

How Akshaye Khanna came on board

After those rejections, the role was offered to Akshaye Khanna. According to Chhabra, things moved quite quickly from there. He agreed to hear the script and soon gave his nod.

Chhabra also mentioned that Khanna tends to take decisions instinctively rather than overthinking them or depending on others’ opinions. That approach, it seems, worked in the film’s favour, given the strong response his performance has received.

The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, wasn’t simple to cast. Chhabra shared that when he first heard the script, it left a strong impression on him.

“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 added that across both parts of the film, the team had to cast around 400 roles. A small team was formed and the process went on for nearly two years, starting in early 2024.

Even big actors were unsure at first

Interestingly, not just newcomers but even established names took time to come on board. Chhabra earlier told Hindustan Times, “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.”

Actors were also concerned about screen time. But the team focused on the impact of each role rather than duration.

For the female lead Yalina Jamali, eventually played by Sara Arjun, the makers avoided casting a familiar face. Chhabra said, “Me and Aditya 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. We did over 1000 auditions for her role.”

Released on March 19, 2026, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has done strong business at the box office, crossing around ₹1,492 crore globally in just over two weeks. The film also features actors like Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, and Arjun Rampal in key roles.