The cinematic landscape of 2026 has been dominated by Aditya Dhar’s spy duology, but casting director Mukesh Chhabra recently revealed that the star-studded lineup was almost a “missed connection.” Speaking on The Right Angle on March 27, Chhabra shared that while the franchise is now a massive hit—with Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge crossing ₹1,100 crore globally—the initial casting process was filled with hesitation.
According to Chhabra, veteran stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal were all initially unsure about signing the project. In fact, Akshaye Khanna reportedly “scolded” Chhabra when first approached, jokingly asking if he had “gone crazy” before eventually sitting through a four-hour narration that won him over.
Among the lead cast, only R. Madhavan (who plays IB Director Ajay Sanyal) gave an immediate “yes.” The others were primarily concerned about their screen time in such a massive ensemble. Chhabra and Dhar had to convince them that “impact matters more than minutes.”
This strategy clearly paid off; despite Rampal and Madhavan only being on set for about 12 days each, their performances as Major Iqbal and Ajay Sanyal, respectively, have been hailed as career-defining. The film, which follows Ranveer Singh as a deep-cover operative in Karachi, has successfully blended seasoned legends with fresh talent, proving Chhabra’s vision that a powerful script can unite even the most skeptical stars.
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