Dhurnadhar’s casting director on Akshaye Khanna’s reaction after hearing film’s script, what makes him bigger than any stars: ‘Woh aise logon mein se nahi hain jo…’

Akshaye Khanna in Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar has not only revived Ranveer Singh’s dull career but also resurrected Akshaye Khanna and made him the most viral sensation of the internet of the year. In a year, Akshaye gave two distinctive antagonist characters- Emperor Aurangzeb in Chhaava and Rehman Dakait in the latest blockbuster starring Singh. In a recent interview, casting director Mukesh Chhabra praised Akshaye, his reaction during the script narration, and what makes him different and more successful than others. 

Mukesh Chhabra on  Akshaye Khanna becoming a rage on the internet 

In an interview with Screen, Mukesh praised Akshaye and said, “Woh baap hai. Aakhirkaar unhone internet par kabza kar liya hai. Jab se film release hui hai, social media Akshay Khanna ka ho gaya hai. Facebook, Instagram aur X—jahan bhi jao, aap unhe apni timeline par dekhte ho. Log unki entry aur unki performance ki baat kar rahe hain.”

Mukesh asserted that the reason for Akshaye’s success is the unaffected focus. Mukesh said that he never you knew that Akshaye would become a rage on the internet, and added, “Mujhe nahi pata tha ki yeh itna bada ho jayega kyunki woh apne kaam par focus rakhte hain.” 

Mukesh Chhabra on Akshaye Khanna’s reaction to Dhurnadhar

The casting director admitted that before Akshaye, many actors were considered for Rehman Dakait. “Iss role ke liye kaafi saare naam the, phir humne kuch shortlist kiye aur aakhir mein unke naam par aa kar ruk gaye,” Mukesh said. He further continued,”Woh narration ke liye aaye aur akela aaye—yeh sabse khoobsurat baat thi. Jab narration khatam hui toh unhone meri taraf dekha aur kaha, ‘Bahut pasand aaya, maza aa gaya yaar’.”

What makes Akshaye Khanna different from others

Mukesh shared his thoughts on Akshaye’s success and what makes him different from other stars. “Woh aise logon mein se nahi hain jo kahen ‘aaj padh leta hoon’ aur phir baad mein baat hi na karein. Woh apni baat ke pakke aadmi hain, aur yahi unki sabse khaas baat hai. Woh apni zindagi ka har ek faisla khud lete hain,” he asserted. On the box office front, Dhurandhar is expected to cross Rs 800 crore worldwide by its third Sunday.