Dhurandhar: Akshaye Khanna wasn’t happy with Rehman Dakait’s look after initial testing, said ‘not sure if we should take this route’

Chauhan revealed that initially, the plan was for Akshaye Khanna to wear only pathanis. However, the actor suggested otherwise, proposing that he also wear kurta-jeans in the film. “We gave him kurta-jeans as well. It was a very important input by Akshaye sir himself, that we should not forget that he is also from the streets. It made a lot of sense, because we also see his rise in the film as he progresses to join a political party later in the story. So, we had a journey where we see him distressed in linens and denims, and then cut to silk-wool pathani, which is one of the most important looks in the film.”

Chauhan further revealed the contribution of Aditya Dhar himself to this creative process. “Aditya sir always knew that whatever is said or done, when Rehman Dakait enters, people should freeze. I think we have achieved that.” She recalled that there was extensive back-and-forth with Akshaye on the look, including multiple tests with a pathani featuring rich embroidery, but the actor wasn’t fully convinced. “He had the first look test, and after a few weeks, we were summoned for a meeting. He said, ‘I’m not sure if we take this route,’ and we were like, okay. That’s when he mentioned that we can’t forget he comes from the street and there has to be ruggedness to his vibe.”

Akshaye Khanna in a still from Dhurandhar

On the now-viral scene where he vibes to “Fa9la”, Chauhan discussed the black pathani look. “Initially, the idea was that all dancers would be in black. But if you see the original Balochis, they wear white a lot. So Aditya sir suggested we go with white because that’s the original look.” This, however, created a challenge for the colour scheme, as the DOP was concerned that with so many people in white under sunlight, it might be an issue. Chauhan explained, “That’s when we decided Akshaye sir should wear all black, with all the dancers in white. Rehman Dakait was awarded Sher-E-Baloch, so we had to make him stand out. We discussed which shades of colour to give him, but I was sure he had to be in black. Everyone agreed quickly, and keeping it rooted in Balochi culture, I stuck with a Balochi pathani for him.”

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Amid all the buzz around Akshaye Khanna, casting director Mukesh Chhabra recently revealed in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN how he approached the actor and how effortless it was to work with him. “He is baap! Now, he has literally taken over the internet. Social media has belonged to Akshaye Khanna since the film released. Wherever you go, Facebook, Instagram, X, you see him on your timeline. People are only talking about his entry and his overall performance. And he had no idea it would become so big because he is just so focused on his work.”

Talking about the casting process, Chhabra explained how it all came together: “We jotted down lots of names for his role and then shortlisted, finally zeroing in on him. He came for the narration alone, and that was the beautiful part. After it ended, he looked at me and said, ‘Loved it, I really enjoyed it, man.’”