'Everything was signed': Suniel Shetty reveals he was cast in Aditya Dhar’s ‘The Immortal Ashwatthama’ before it was shelved

Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ has been the center of attention ever since its release. Following its theatrical success, the film has now landed on OTT platforms, where it’s continuing to grab viewers’ attention. Even actor Sunil Shetty recently opened up about the movie and shared his views.

Sunil Shetty reveals he was cast in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Ashwatthama’

In an interview with Lehren Retro, Shetty revealed that he was initially supposed to be part of Aditya Dhar’s film ‘Dhurandhar’. He had been cast in ‘The Immortal Ashwatthama’, which was eventually shelved for multiple reasons. The film was meant to feature Vicky Kaushal in the lead, but Aditya decided to cancel the project due to budget constraints and changing market conditions.




The actor said, "I was supposed to play a role in Aditya's film ‘Ashwatthama’. But then it got shelved. Everyone was signed, everything was done. But when I saw ‘Dhurandhar’, I wished I could have been a part of it. Everyone was praising Akshaye Khanna for being the best in the film, but I felt that Aditya and Ranveer Singh were much better than him. The audience can see that Akshaye’s character is built up, great, with background music, everything working in his favor. But Ranveer has none of that, yet he shines. How? Because he created his own character. With his body, his look, and especially his eyes."

Sunil Shetty praises Aditya Dhar’s vision for ‘Dhurandhar’

Sunil further praised Dhar's vision and said, "These days, people ask how a film can be 3 hours and 40 minutes long. But Aditya Dhar understood the audience's pulse very well. He knew that after COVID-19, people have become addicted to binge-watching. People sit for 6-7 hours and watch entire web series in one go. He thought, 'If you can sit for that long for a web series, watch it on a big screen. I'll give you an even more amazing experience.' And he truly delivered. This was all due to the director's determination and belief. Aditya Dhar's vision is truly amazing."Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”