‘Only R Madhavan said yes immediately; Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna weren't sure’: Mukesh Chhabra on Dhurandhar casting

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has been dominating conversations ever since its first instalment, winning both critical acclaim and audience love. While the film’s performances have been widely praised, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has now revealed that getting its star-studded ensemble on board wasn’t easy.In a recent interaction with Hindustan Times, Mukesh Chhabra opened up about the casting process.“Initially, even Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna were not sure about being a part of the film. Only R Madhavan said yes. For the others, it took time,” he said.He added that the scale of casting evolved over time. “Aditya and I were considering so many people, and honestly, earlier we had never thought we would cast so many big stars. We had a very different kind of actors in mind. Then I pushed him to think bigger.” Chhabra further explained how the ensemble slowly came together.“When you start a film, you wonder how so many big actors will come on board. At first, none of this was there, but gradually, as we discussed, it started falling into place,” he said. Talking about the hesitation among actors, Chhabra highlighted a key concern in multi-starrers — screen time.“Madhavan and Arjun were on the set only for 12 days. Most actors usually worry about how much screen time they will get. We told them that here, impact is what matters,” he shared.“If you look at Madhavan’s part, with only 12 to 14 days of work, the impact of the role is huge,” he added.