Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ became one of the most talked-about performances from the two-part film. However, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that the actor was not the original choice for the role. According to Chhabra, two or three big stars had turned down the part before Akshaye eventually came on board.Speaking on a recent episode of Shekhar Suman’s show Shekhar Tonite, Mukesh Chhabra recalled the casting process and said, “I can tell this now that 2-3 very 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 revealed that Akshaye initially questioned why he should take up the role of an antagonist. However, the actor changed his mind within minutes of hearing the story. He said, “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.”The casting director also spoke highly of Aditya Dhar’s script and his confidence in executing his vision. Recalling his reaction after hearing the narration, Chhabra said, “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.”Chhabra was also asked about the decision to give Akshaye’s antagonist greater prominence in the film’s promotions despite Ranveer Singh being the central protagonist. He credited Ranveer for embracing the demands of the story and said, “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 further reflected on how the success of ‘Dhurandhar’ has changed the way audiences perceive his work. Chhabra said that while he had previously worked on films such as ‘PK’, ‘Sanju’, ‘Dangal’ and ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’, the recognition he received after ‘Dhurandhar’ was on another level. He said, “I get a lot of love and respect now. Because of social media, people have started recognising me, but earlier they only knew my name. I did the casting of PK, Sanju, Dangal, Gangs Of Wasseypur, but the respect and popularity I received after Dhurandhar is unmatched. Even on the street, parents ask me to make their child’s life. Now, I can call any big star, and they listen to me because I have credibility.”Helmed by Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar’ is a two-part action epic featuring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun. The first instalment released in theatres in December 2025, followed by the second part in March 2026. As per industry tracker Sacnilk, the two films have collectively earned Rs 3,120.74 crore worldwide.
