Gunmaaster G9 director Aditya Datt reveals Aparshakti Khurana was his first choice to play the villain; says, “He has never played an out-and-out commercial and crazy-ass villain”
Aparshakti Khurana is set to explore a darker side of his acting repertoire with Gunmaaster G9, an upcoming action drama directed by Aditya Datt. As the film continues production, Datt has revealed that Khurana was his first choice to play the antagonist in the film, which also stars Emraan Hashmi and Genelia D’Souza.
Speaking about the casting decision, Datt explained that the team wanted to approach the villain’s character differently instead of relying entirely on familiar tropes associated with commercial action films. "We were looking out for a villain. We thought to ourselves, ‘How do we break out?’ When you're doing these commercial action films, the villain is usually there with certain cliches that you want to break away from, on screen. You can't go away from the cliches, but you try to. That’s where we wanted to put effort,” reveals the director, explaining why he picked Khurana.
According to Datt, Khurana immediately stood out as the right actor for the role. The director pointed to the actor’s previous performances, including his work in Jubilee, as one of the reasons he felt confident about the casting. He went on to share, "Aparshakti has never played an out-and-out commercial and crazy-ass villain. This was the thought behind going for him. I have seen many of his projects. I thought he was amazing in Jubilee. He nailed his role in the series. Many of his performances are stuck in my head. So, when I wanted to pick the villain, he was the man for me. He was on top of my list. I gave him a call. I knew he’d do justice to the role.”
While Gunmaaster G9 is being positioned as a mass-oriented action film, Datt says the story will not rely solely on action set pieces. The director emphasised the importance of emotional stakes behind the film’s action sequences. “I was very clear about not making a mindless action movie, given I also have such a brilliant cast with Emraan, Aparshakti and Genelia. I believe action makes sense when the emotions behind it are strong. I wanted the audience to understand and realize why the hero is going and beating up 10 people. It has to have a strong emotional intent. Otherwise, it's another gimmicky piece. I would call Gunmaaster G9 a musical drama action film,” he added.
Datt also shared that he personally designed the action sequences while developing the screenplay, with an emphasis on creating a polished visual style. "It is going to be a very sleek and massy kind of action. I designed the sequences myself while writing. I designed the action to look good," he concluded.
Gunmaaster G9 also brings Emraan Hashmi and music composer Himesh Reshammiya together again, adding another element of familiarity to the upcoming project. With Aparshakti Khurana taking on an antagonist role, the film marks a departure from the kind of characters audiences have predominantly seen him portray.
The film is currently in production. While the makers have not officially locked a release date, Gunmaaster G9 is reportedly eyeing a Dussehra 2026 theatrical release.
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