Before Akshaye Khanna, 3 Actors Said No to Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that Akshaye Khanna was not the initial choice for the role of Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

In a recent interview, Chhabra shared that two Bollywood actors and one South Indian actor turned down the role before Khanna came on board.

“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,” he said, adding that the actors cited concerns over the film being an ensemble project led by Ranveer Singh.

“They said that this is an ensemble cast and it’s actually Ranveer’s film,” Chhabra noted, calling their reasoning “very weird logic.”

Initial hesitation from major stars

Chhabra also disclosed that even actors like Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt were initially unsure about joining the film.

He added that R Madhavan was among the first to agree to be part of the project, while others took time to come on board.

“Initially, even Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna were not sure… Only R Madhavan said yes,” he recalled.

Extensive casting process for a large-scale film

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the Dhurandhar franchise required a massive casting effort due to its scale and ensemble narrative.

Chhabra revealed that nearly 400 roles were cast across both parts of the film, with a dedicated team working over two years to finalize the lineup.

“I was narrated the story for four hours… I got scared initially… I had to find so many characters,” he said, highlighting the complexity of the process.

The team also conducted over 1,000 auditions to cast the role of Yalina Jamali, eventually played by Sara Arjun, aiming to bring in a fresh face without prior screen baggage.

Ranveer Singh was always the first choice

Despite multiple casting changes, Ranveer Singh was always locked in as the lead character, Hamza.

Chhabra stated that the actor agreed to the film immediately, as he was “waiting for the right film.”

The film also features a large ensemble including Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor, and others.

Box office success of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’

Released on March 19, 2026, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has emerged as a major commercial success.

The espionage thriller, released in multiple languages, has grossed approximately ₹1,492.17 crore worldwide within 15 days of its release, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.

The film was released alongside Ustaad Bhagat Singh, starring Pawan Kalyan, and continues to perform strongly at the box office.