‘Dhurandhar’ OTT release: Decoding Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna and others’ looks ahead of the film’s digital debut

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ has been garnering love and appreciation right from the word go. Since its theatrical release on December 5, 2025, Ranveer Singh and Akhsaye Khanna's spy drama has kept the cash register ringing at the box office. Now multiple reports have suggested that ‘Dhurandhar’ will make its OTT debut on Netflix, potentially on January 30th. Ahead of the same, let’s dive into the character design of the ‘Dhurandhar’ cast that left an indelible mark on the big screen, as well as on the hearts of the audience.

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Bollywood prosthetic and character designer Preetisheel Singh shared that the first key detail was Ranveer’s hair. “Cracking the hair was important; we had to strike a balance between making it cinematic but not distracting because he is not a front and centre character in the first part.”

In the movie, we see Ranveer Singh, aka Hamza’s journey from being a nobody to Rehman Daikat’s inner circle member to being the man who takes over Lyari; it was essential that his look transitions with him as well. “Dhurandhar expands over a certain time period, and I wanted to track that journey from getting into the “spy look,” where he doesn’t have access to money, doesn’t even have a house to stay in, being on the streets, to entering the gang. I wanted to show the initial rugged rawness, where he is not grooming himself every day, with unkempt, grungy hair, tied into a ponytail sometimes. You see that greasiness in the texture coming across. Texture is very important to me. I even gave him freckles on his face and tanned his skin tone. This builds character,” shares Preetisheel.

Hairstyle was an important part of Rehman’s character as well. Speaking about the same, Preeti shared, “Of course, he has a lot of experience working with wigs. I wanted to refrain from how he has already been shown and wanted his charisma to come across.”

“There is a suaveness in his character, where his mere presence commands attention. He doesn’t need to say much. I gave him soft waves, and we showed the receding hairline. It is not a full head of hair,” she continued.

“I remember doing the trial, he was looking at himself in the mirror, telling me he was reminded of his late father, Vinod Khanna,” recalled the artist.

According to Preetisheel, creating Arjun Rampal’s look also came with its own challenges. The foremost struggle was to make Arjun look ‘not attractive.’ Preetisheel added, “I wanted his face to be layered under a lot of character streaks, and gave him a nice scar across his face. I wanted the menace and viciousness to come across. We did the gold plating for two teeth on top and the lower set as well.”

She elaborated how the gold plating brought the whole look together and mentioned, “On the first day of shooting, he had asked if we could take another shot, with a close-up of his face, and he did this side smirk, and suddenly you realised, the teeth are what completed his character, Major Iqbal. It is very important to me that even when they are not speaking, the character comes through strongly.”

Gaurav Gera was one of the most surprising elements of ‘Dhurandhar.’ Before the Aditya Dhar film happened to him, he was known for his comedy skits and television work in ‘Jassi Jesi Koi Nahi.’

Shedding light on his character design, Preetisheel on her social media shared, “Recognise Gaurav Gera @gauravgera in Dhurandhar? Most didn’t! For his character in Dhurandhar - Mohammad Aalam, we etched a lifetime into his features: softened lines, a natural salt-white beard, textured ageing, and hair cropped to character. Every “I didn’t recognise him” felt like the work landing exactly where it should, but above all, it celebrates Gaurav’s versatility and the ease with which he steps into a character.”

Sweet face, strong aura, rebellious spirit, romantic eyes, adjectives fall short to describe the look and character of Yalina ala Sara Arjun in 'Dhurandhar.' Decoding her look via an Instagram post, Preetisheel wrote, "My sweet @saraarjunn — such a powerhouse in presence. A true chota packet, big dhamaka, and such a refreshing talent to watch."

She added, "Yalina represented the heart of the story — humanity, memory, and the consequences of ideology-led choices. Her character design focused on retaining her vulnerability and innocence. With soft, statement curls and delicate makeup that highlighted her expressive eyes and features, Yalina’s look came together to reflect her warmth, gentleness, and playful spirit."