• Source:JND
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According to casting director Mukesh Chhabra, three prominent actors declined Rehman Dakait's part in Dhurandhar (2025),which later went to Akshaye Khanna. He revealed that two Hindi movie celebrities and a well-known South Indian actor first turned down the movie, directed by Aditya Dhar. The casting director also revealed that over 400 roles were cast for the movie over the course of almost two years.

Mukesh Chhabra recounted the difficulties in casting Akshaye Khanna to play Rehman Dakait in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. The actors' reasons, as he explained, was that they weren't sure about being a part of a multi-cast arrangement because the movie mostly focused on Ranveer Singh's role. The team was then forced to move on and find a replacement.

Mukesh Chhabra recalled, "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. An actor from South and two from Bollywood gave very weird logic. They said that this is an ensemble cast and its actually Ranveer’s film, but Aditya moves on from negative thoughts quickly."

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Mukesh Chhabra also mentioned that the team had to cast over 400 characters in both sections of the movie. Beginning in early 2024, a small crew was assembled, and the process continued for about two years.

Akshaye Khanna As Rehman Dakait

Akshaye Khanna, who dazzled with his portrayal of the Lyari gangster Rehman Dakait, became the talk of the internet. Audiences have been especially charmed by his entrance scene, which was set to the Arabic song FA9LA by Bahraini artist Flipperachi in the first part.

 

 

Akshaye Khanna portrayed a notorious mobster from Lyari, Pakistan, who was inspired by real-life. His real name was Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch. He began his criminal career early in life, allegedly committing his first crime at the age of 13. He joined Haji Laloo's gang in the middle of the 1990s, progressed through the ranks gradually, and soon became well-known for his severe violence.

ALSO READ: Akshaye Khanna Kicks Off Telugu Debut Mahakali, See Viral PHOTO From Sets

Dhurandhar: The Revenge

Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), is available in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film led by Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, also stars Sara Arjun, Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Manav Gohil, Udaybir Sandhu, Bimal Oberoi, and Raj Zutshi in significant roles. Jio Studios and B62 Studios are co-producers of the spy thriller directed by Aditya Dhar.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge opened in theaters on March 19, 2026 alongside star Pawan Kalyan's Telugu action-drama Ustaad Bhagat Singh. The spy thriller 15-day run at the box office has brought in Rs 1,492.17 crore globally.


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