Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that several actors turned down the role of Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar before Akshaye Khanna eventually came on board. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Chhabra shared that one South actor and two Bollywood actors declined the part, citing what he described as “weird logic.”
Mukesh Chhabra says actors rejected the role citing ensemble cast concerns
Speaking about the casting process, Chhabra said the team had approached multiple actors before reaching out to Akshaye Khanna. According to him, the refusals were linked to the perception that the film was primarily led by Ranveer Singh. “I wish I could take their names. Two or three actors refused this role. Of course, after the film was released, they called and messaged me that ‘I wish we would have said yes.’ One actor was from the South, and the other two were from Bollywood,” he said.
Explaining their reasoning, he added, “They gave me a very weird logic. They said, this is an ensemble cast. This is a Ranveer movie.” Chhabra admitted that the response surprised him, especially considering the scale of the project and the anticipation around director Aditya Dhar returning after a long gap. “Because Aditya was coming after seven years. It’s an ensemble cast. So I thought, let’s think of something weird,” he recalled.
How Akshaye Khanna came on board the film
Chhabra then spoke about how Akshaye Khanna entered the conversation as a possible choice for the role and how quickly things moved forward once he was approached. “Then we thought of Akshaye Khanna. I remember I told him. He said, what are you talking about? Will he do it? I said, he’s a great actor. Let’s just ask him at least,” he shared.
He added that he personally reached out to the actor and narrated the script to him shortly after. “I called him. He said, I’ll come. He came all the way. I said, hello. I came for the narration. He said, give me a fantastic script. I sent him the script the same day. He messaged me in the morning, ‘I’m doing it.’ That easy.”
Chhabra also reflected on how some senior actors prefer to respond directly and instinctively to scripts rather than overanalyzing decisions.
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Anil Kapoor had earlier confirmed he was approached
Interestingly, Anil Kapoor had previously revealed that he too was approached for casting in Dhurandhar but had to decline the opportunity due to prior commitments. The revelation adds another layer to the film’s casting journey, which eventually saw Akshaye Khanna take on the role that has now become widely discussed following the film’s release.
Also Read: “He gave Dhurandhar its soul”: Aditya Dhar praises cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha in emotional post
More Pages: Dhurandhar Box Office Collection , Dhurandhar Movie Review
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