Gulshan Grover as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar: Actor reacts to Shatrughan Sinha’s suggestion. He opens up on missing villains in Bollywood

Dhurandhar 2 has been making waves at the box office ever since its release on March 19. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film stars Ranveer Singh in the lead, alongside Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi and Sanjay Dutt. The first instalment of the franchise also had a huge impact, with Akshaye Khanna stealing the show as the menacing Rehman Dakait. Now, veteran actor Gulshan Grover has revealed an interesting take on the iconic role.

Shatrughan Sinha’s surprising suggestion to Gulshan Grover

In a recent conversation with India Today, Gulshan Grover recalled an interaction with industry veterans including Shatrughan Sinha. He shared that during a dinner, he mentioned watching Dhurandhar and told him that it was the kind of film he should have been a part of.



The veteran actor further revealed that, "Two days back, Shatrughan Sinha was there, who has played anti-hero, strong, powerful characters, Rakesh Roshan, Shashi Ranjan, we were having dinner. So, I walked in late, and he (Sinha) said, 'I saw Dhurandhar. Gulshan Grover, that was a film in which you should have been there."

"He (Sinha) even said how wonderful it would have been if I had played Rehman Dakait, Akshaye Khanna’s role. So, I said, even I agree with that. The public also agrees," he further added.

A nod to old-school villains

The actor used this anecdote to talks about how certain elements of classic Bollywood are slowly finding their way back. According to him, many aspects from earlier cinema, be it dramatic settings, background elements, or larger-than-life characters, are reappearing in modern storytelling.

Gulshan Grover, who is widely known as Bollywood’s “Bad Man,” has built a legacy playing memorable antagonists across hundreds of films. From his stylish villains to intense screen presence, he has been a defining face of negative roles in Hindi cinema for decades.

Why classic villains seem to be missing

Addressing the absence of fear-inducing villains in today’s films, Gulshan Grover explained that the change shows society itself rather than a lack of creativity. He said filmmakers often draw inspiration from real life, and the kind of intimidating personalities once seen on screen are not as common today.

He pointed out that earlier, cinematic villains were designed to evoke fear instantly, characters whose mere presence could silence a room. The Matka King actor added, "Ever anywhere would you see somebody walk into a restaurant and people leave that place, or someone gets out of a car with a cigarette in hand, and people run away. Those kinds of people are not here anymore; hence, we don’t see them in films."


However, Gulshan Grover believes this doesn’t mean villains have disappeared. Instead, they have evolved into more layered and realistic characters that align with changing audience preferences.

‘Everything comes back, but differently’ Grover also shared that cinema constantly evolves, but trends often return in new forms. He noted that just like fashion and music from the past make comebacks, storytelling styles also revisit old ideas with a modern twist.

According to him, while the classic “khalnayak” may not dominate screens the way it once did, the essence of dark and complex characters continues to exist in contemporary films, just presented differently.

Dhurandhar 2 continues strong run

Meanwhile, Dhurandhar 2 continues to perform impressively at the box office. According to Sacnilk.com, the film has crossed over Rs 1,700 crore worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing Indian films. Though its daily collections have recently dipped into single digits, its overall run remains remarkable. Stay tuned!