Akshaye Khanna wasn’t first choice for Dhurandhar and almost turned down the film: ‘Are you mad?’

Akshaye Khanna may have become one of the most talked-about performers in Dhurandhar, but casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that the actor was not the first choice for his role. According to Chhabra, two or three major stars had turned down the part before Khanna agreed to come on board.

Speaking on a recent episode of Shekhar Suman’s Shekhar Tonite, Chhabra recalled how he approached Khanna with the role and how quickly the actor changed his mind after hearing the story.

“I can tell this now that 2-3 big stars had said no for this role. They thought that it’s an ensemble cast and the director hasn’t worked since 7 years. The last film was Uri. They do a lot of calculations. When an artiste starts thinking with his mind instead of heart, then that’s a problem.”

Chhabra said Khanna initially questioned why he should take on a villainous role, but his response changed after hearing the narration.

“When I told the story to Akshaye bhai, he said, ‘Paagal hogaya hai kya tu? Villain kyu karunga mai (Are you mad? Why would I play the villain?). After listening to the story for five minutes, he said fantastic and said yes the same day. I knew he would kill it. Akshaye added his own touch to Aditya Dhar’s writing. He got the right opportunity, the right script, at the right time.”

Chhabra also spoke about Aditya Dhar’s writing and his confidence in his vision for Dhurandhar. He recalled being impressed by the script even before production began.

“After the narration, I was quiet for half an hour. The script that Aditya wrote was just amazing. After executing it, it was x100. Aditya Dhar only listens to himself. He is very sure of himself. He has the conviction of doing what he wants,” he said.

Chhabra was also asked about the decision to promote Khanna’s antagonist more prominently than Ranveer Singh and some of the film’s other cast members. He credited Singh for being willing to let the story take precedence over the usual expectations placed on a leading actor.

“Hats off to Ranveer. If you tell a young hero today that you just have to stand and walk behind, he wouldn’t do it. Ranveer knew what was going to happen in the second half. He just surrendered in this film, and you have the result in front of you today.”

The casting director also reflected on how the success of Dhurandhar has changed the way audiences recognise his work. Chhabra has previously handled casting for films including PK, Sanju, Dangal and Gangs Of Wasseypur, but said the latest film has brought him a different level of public recognition.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun. The two-part film released in December 2025 and March 2026. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the two films have earned a combined Rs 3,120.74 crore worldwide.