Was Nagarjuna Offered Akshaye Khanna’s Role In ‘Dhurandhar’? Former Says, ‘I Was…’

Dhurandhar, the spy action thriller, is a blockbuster hit of 2025. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi. For the unversed, the film was released in theatres on December 5, 2025. It was Akshaye Khanna’s role of ‘Rehman Dakait’ who stole the spotlight with his performance and the viral dance on the track, Fa9la. But what if we tell you that Telugu superstar, Nagarjuna was the first choice for this role? Here’s how he reacted to the following.

Was Nagarjuna the first choice for the role of ‘Rehman Dakait’? Here’s what we know

Akshaye Khanna received wider acclaim for his strong performance as ‘Rehman Dakait’ in the film, Dhurandhar. However, recently rumours circulated on social media that Akshaye was not the first choice. Yes, you read it right. According to the speculations, Telugu superstar, Nagarjuna was first offered the role in the film. Nagarjuna, who is currently vacationing abroad, has finally broken his silence on the following. He dismissed the rumours and shared that he was not offered the role, although he wished he had been. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he said:

“Absolutely not. I was not offered the role, though I wish I was. Dhurandhar is a superb film. Really incredible direction by Aditya Dhar. I loved his earlier film Uri also! Superb acting by everybody in the film, and Akshaye Khanna was terrific. Looking forward to the sequel! Wishing them another blockbuster.”

When Akshaye Kumar rejected his role of ‘Rehman Dakait’

In an interview with India Today, Dhurandhar’s casting director, Mukesh Chhabra, shared that when he joined the project, Ranveer Singh was already part of it. He mentioned that in the Mumbai film industry, when a big star gets onboarded, it becomes impossible to get more stars. He revealed how Akshaye Khanna was approached for the role of ‘Rehman Dakait’, who turned down the offer at the first step. He was quoted as saying:

“Ranveer Singh was already onboard when I came in. Once you have one big star, it becomes impossible to get more stars. That’s just how the Mumbai film industry works. It didn’t matter whether it was Danish Pandor, Rakesh Bedi, Akshaye Khanna or R Madhavan. Even the smallest casting idea was done meticulously. Aditya told me I was going crazy. I said, Akshaye paaji will do it. And then we all jumped on it. I honestly hadn’t watched Chhaava then. But I called him. Unhone pehle mujhe daanta. He said, ‘Paagal ho gaya hai kya?’ I asked him to at least hear me out once.”

Mukesh shared how things changed when Akshaye heard the script of Dhurandhar. He mentioned that Akshaye came to Aditya Dhar’s office and sat for four hours to listen to the script. After the script narration was completed, Akshaye was excited to portray the role of ‘Rehman Dakait’. He was quoted as saying:

“I asked him to come to the office. He said, ‘Main toh yahan rehta hi nahi hoon. Bol kahan aana hai. He came and sat for four hours. He quietly listened. He kept smoking. When we finished, he said, ‘F**k, it’s very good’. Then he said, ‘Well done, yaar. Bada maza aayega.’ He called me and said, ‘Let’s do it, bro.'”

More about the film, Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar has created a huge buzz for its gripping storyline and power-packed performances. According to the latest reports, the second instalment of the film is scheduled to release on March 19, 2026. Rakesh Bedi, who appears in Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2, confirmed that the spy action thriller was planned as a two-part series. He also shared that in the upcoming sequel, he will play a key role that will create a huge impact on the main character.

What are your thoughts on Nagarjuna’s reaction? Let us know.

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