Every actor in the film Dhurandhar has grabbed the attention of the audience. The credit also goes to the casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who has been getting a lot of praise for selecting the perfect actors for the movie. The Free Press Journal recently interacted with Chhabra and spoke to him about the movie, Akshaye Khanna's casting, Ranveer Singh-Sara Arjun's age gap, and more.
Everyone is praising you for the casting of Dhurandhar. How does that feel?
God has given me a little bit more. I received a lot of love for Gangs Of Wasseypur, Kai Po Che, Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Secret Superstar, Shahid, Scam 1992, Scoop, PK, and Rockstar. But you can say that for this, I got a little more love. I am very happy about it.
The characters in the film are inspired by real-life people. On social media, netizens are saying that you have got lookalikes of those real people. So, how much time did you take for the casting?
I think it took about one and a half years. We had some references. I have a great team, and we all worked day and night for this film because the story was so good. When Aditya narrated the story, I got very excited to work on it. We went to Bangkok for local casting. We went to Delhi, Kashmir, and did casting from Mumbai as well. We went to so many places in India to cast actors.
Actress and politician, Smriti Irani, in her post wrote about your casting in Dhurandhar. How does that feel?
I am feeling very good. Smriti ma'am posted, and she also called me. She also sent me a very nice text. She said, 'I posted something, and I just wanted to personally call you and congratulate you'. She spoke to me for a good 20 minutes. She spoke about how good the film is, about the casting, and about how good my work is.
At the trailer launch of Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar revealed that 1300 girls were auditioned for the female lead part, and later Sara Arjun was cast. So, what made you think Sara would be a perfect choice for the film?
I am very happy that a lot of directors, including Aditya, are now giving more chances to newcomers. So, my idea was that we are creating the whole world. So, we are doing surprise casting, and this girl should look completely fresh. Even though she has been a child actor and has done a couple of films as a child actor, we wanted to give a fresh approach. So, I have been working with Sara for many years, and she has been coming for auditions. She is really a lovely girl. When she gave the audition, I saw the hidden talent behind her sweet face. She is such an amazing actor, you will see that in part 2. You will be surprised.
Everyone has been talking about the 20-year age gap between Ranveer and Sara. So, while casting, did that come to your mind?
No, I had got a very clear brief. The story is that he is trying to trap her. So, we knew that we wanted a young girl who is 20-21 years old. And when part 2 comes, whoever is talking about the age gap will get all the answers. It's not like we don't have good actors in that 26-27 years of age group; we have good actors. But this was (age gap) required in the film. Everything you can't explain to people. When I was also reading about the age gap, I was laughing. According to the film's brief, it is correct.
Akshaye Khanna's performance in the film has surprised one and all. So, how did his casting happen?
I have been talking to Akshaye paaji for the past 2-3 days. He is also very happy. Aditya and I sat for an hour every day to think, and we thought about many names. It is not that we didn't think about any other actor. But we wanted to surprise people. Akshaye Khanna is one of the best actors in the country. But, the due that he was supposed to get was pending, and I think he got it after Dhurandhar. The character of Rehman Dakait is stylish and intense, but it shouldn't be too much because he has so much power. Sometimes you show the villain very big physically, and you show him very powerful, and Akshaye is completely the opposite of that. But, because of his aura, his performance, his smile, his talent, we thought of him.
Mukesh Further Reveals Akshaye Khanna Takes His Own Time To Say Yes To A Film
He takes his time to decide on a film. He doesn't want to prove anything to anyone. So that's Akshaye Khanna's magic. I am glad that I have contributed a little to his life by just suggesting his name to Aditya. I am so thankful to him that he agreed. Even Aditya told me that we made a good decision.
When a film is released, people have a lot of opinions about it. On social media, many people are calling Dhurandhar a propaganda film. So, what do you have to say about it?
I just love working, I love cinema. I don't work with so many opinions. When I like a film, and I have to create the world (casting), I will do it. I will do all kinds of movies; I will do a kids' film like Chillar Party, and I will work on a film like Gangs Of Wasseypur as well. I just love casting actors and creating a world. I see cinema as cinema. I just follow my instinct. Whoever is saying that (it is a propaganda film), many others are answering them. So, that will keep on happening. I am only worried about the actors, the film, and the director I am working with. I don't want to think about anything else.
When it comes to actors, are there any surprises in Part 2?
Many surprises are there; actor-wise, story-wise, twists and turns. Many more surprises are left.
Are you planning to return to direction?
Yes, I seriously want to make my film, but right now, I have taken on so much work, and I am very happy. I will just wrap up all the work in the next one year, and then I will think about my next film. But the script is almost ready and the producers are ready. Actors are my good friends, so I am hoping that they will all say yes. So, not next year, but definitely in 2027, I am going to direct my second film.
