Apart from the box-office records it has broken, the memes it has inspired, and the debates it has sparked, the Dhurandhar franchise has also brought the seldom-discussed aspect of film casting into the mainstream. From Aditya Dhar’s ‘peak detailing’ to Mukesh Chhabra’s painstaking research, the film’s casting has been the talk of the town. Even as the film’s cast is praised, the casting director reveals which roles were the most satisfying to cast.
Mukesh Chhabra on Dhurandhar’s most satisfactory casting
Mukesh Chhabra, who cast nearly 300 roles in the two films, admits that it was a mega challenge, one that took two years of his life and eight of his assistants’ time. In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, he opens up on the feedback he has received for the casting. Ask him which role was the most satisfying to cast, and he says, “I could say all of them. But Sara Arjun is a new talent. To find a new girl for this role amid such a big star cast was challenging.” Mukesh adds that the reception of Sara’s performance in the two films has validated his and director Aditya Dhar’s choice. “And then for her to stand out in this manner felt great,” he adds.
A former child star, Sara Arjun was best known for her performances in films such as Ponniyin Selvan, Ek Thi Daayan, and Saivam. Dhurandhar was her first role in the lead. She played Yalina, the love interest (and later wife) of Hamza, Ranveer Singh’s character.
Mukesh adds that he also finds the reception to casting actors typecast as comedians in serious roles pretty satisfying. “The surprise casting of Gaurav Gera and Rakesh Bedi was also satisfying,” he says. Gaurav plays an Indian spy named Aalam, who runs a milk soda shop in Karachi, while Rakesh Bedi plays the shrewd Pakistani politician Jameel Jamali in both films. Both men have been praised for their performances.
‘Every single person cast was perfect’
Rounding up his favourite supporting actors from the cast, Mukesh says, “I liked the actors we got for Uzair Baloch (Danish Pandor) and Babu Dakait (Asif Ali Haider Khan). Then, the casting of Nawaz Sharif and Atiq Ahmed was widely discussed. So there were a lot of castings that gave me joy in this film. Every single person we cast in this film was perfect.”
Dhurandhar, released in December, starred Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy in Pakistan. The film also starred Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt. A critical and commercial success, it minted ₹1300 crore worldwide. The spy thriller set a new domestic collection record, which was eventually broken by the sequel – Dhurandhar The Revenge. The sequel has already crossed ₹1400 crore.
