Wanted to Surprise People With Casting in ‘Dhurandhar’: Mukesh Chhabra

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra said the idea behind the casting of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar was to surprise audiences by presenting both established and lesser-known actors in unexpected avatars.

The film, which released on December 5, is set against the backdrop of covert intelligence operations intertwined with major geopolitical and terror-related events such as the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Since its release, Dhurandhar has crossed Rs 250 crore at the domestic box office.

Speaking about the casting approach, Chhabra said the team consciously chose actors who could break away from their familiar screen images, adding depth and unpredictability to the narrative.

The film has received strong praise from critics and audiences alike, particularly for Ranveer Singh’s performance as undercover spy Hamza Ali Mazari. The supporting cast has also been widely appreciated, with R Madhavan portraying Indian spymaster Ajay Sanyal, Sanjay Dutt as SP Chaudhary Aslam, Akshaye Khanna as real-life gangster Rehman Dakait, and Arjun Rampal as ISI Major Iqbal, a character inspired by terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar continues its strong box office run, driven by its performances, casting choices, and politically charged storyline.