Dhurandhar continues to perform strongly at the box office, showing no signs of slowing down. However, when it was first announced that 20 year old Sara Arjun would be paired opposite Ranveer Singh, the casting raised eyebrows due to their nearly 20 year age gap.
Now, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has addressed the discussion, revealing why Sara was chosen from a massive pool of nearly 1,300 aspirants. Speaking to Free Press Journal, Mukesh shared that the intention was to introduce a fresh face that would fit seamlessly into the film’s world.
He said, “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.”
When asked if Ranveer and Sara’s 20 year age gap came to his mind during casting, Mukesh said the age difference was never an issue while casting because the story needed a girl in her early twenties.
Mukesh explained, “No, I had got a very clear brief. The story is that he (Ranveer) is trying to trap her (Sara). 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.”
About Dhurandhar
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a tense spy thriller set in early 2000s Pakistan. Ranveer Singh plays an undercover Indian operative tasked with taking down the notorious Lyari gangs. Inspired by real events, the film features a strong ensemble including Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan.
According to Sacnilk, Dhurandhar minted Rs 59 crore on its day 10, ie second Sunday. This brings the film’s domestic collection to Rs 351.75 crore. In just ten days, Dhurandhar has collected Rs 351.75 crore net (Rs 422 crore gross) in India.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar is confirmed to return with a sequel. It will hit the theatres on March 19, 2026, coinciding with Eid 2026. The movie will also clash with Kannada star Yash’s next film, ‘Toxic’. It will be one of the biggest box office clashes of 2026.
