Akshaye Khanna’s performance as Rehman Dakait in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar received widespread praise. However, casting director Mukesh Chhabra recently revealed that Akshaye wasn’t the first choice for the role. In an interview, he shared that two or three big stars had turned down the part before Akshaye came on board. Chhabra also recalled how the actor initially questioned the idea of playing a villain but agreed to do the film after hearing the story.

During a candid chat on a recent episode of Shekhar Suman’s show Shekhar Tonite, Mukesh Chhabra opened up about the thought behind casting Akshaye Khanna. “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.”

He continued, “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.”

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The casting director also praised Aditya Dhar‘s writing and conviction as a filmmaker. “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,” he said.

When asked if it was a conscious decision to promote antagonist Akshaye Khanna more prominently than protagonist Ranveer Singh and the other cast members, Mukesh Chhabra replied, “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.”

Sharing how working on the blockbuster hit Dhurandhar’s casting gave him more popularity as a casting director, 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.”

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About Dhurandhar

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a two-part epic starring Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun. The first part was released in theatres in December 2025, while the second instalment hit the big screens in March 2026. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the two films have earned a combined Rs 3,120.74 crore worldwide.