‘Wanted performers over so-called stars’: Dhurandhar producer reveals why Ranveer Singh was cast in the film
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, shattered records upon rollout last year and became a massive smash hit. Directed by Aditya Dhar , it featured Ranveer as an Indian spy on a mission in Pakistan. The movie grossed over ₹ 1300 crore rupees globally. In a new interview with Outlook Business, Dhurandhar's co-producer and Jio Studios CEO Jyoti Deshpande reflected on the journey of making the project and shared why Ranveer was cast in the lead.
Adding to this, Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar was rolled out in theatres on December 5, 2025. (Netflix) What Jyoti shared Talking about mounting the movie with a big budget, Jyoti shared, “Dhurandhar is a project that overran multiple times, and I indulged it every time. I reinvented it. You know, somehow one part became two parts, but we found a way… there was mad conviction. Everyone was involved. Aditya Dhar, to begin with. And Ranveer Singh, the star, who went all in and did nothing else for the duration of the movie. Every technician who was part of that movie, whether it’s cinematography, sound design, editing, everyone was all in. We all knew we were making something that had so much purpose, so much heart, that had never been seen before, that had never been done before. And it was almost like, if we don’t do this, we’re not alive. I mean, we have to do this against all odds. So it defied everything. I had to keep finding a way to move forward and not stop.”
Meanwhile, Speaking about the casting of Ranveer, she went on to say, “There were no safe things we could do because it was already an expensive movie to shoot. Now, if we added expensive actors as well, it was going to render the movie unviable on day one. So we wanted performers rather than the so-called stars… I had worked with Ranveer on Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani , when he wasn’t this big. So I had worked with him when he was starting out, and I still believe those are some of my favourite films of Ranveer Singh. I find him an absolutely outstanding star who gives it all. He transforms into a character. I love that about him, the fact that he is not Ranveer Singh in that movie. When he has to become Bajirao, he becomes Bajirao. When he has to become Khilji, he becomes Khilji. When he has to become the Gully Boy, he becomes the Gully Boy. So he transforms; he doesn’t play Ranveer Singh.”
Notably, Dhurandhar tells the story of Jaskirat Singh Rangi, alias Hamza Ali Mazari , sent to Lyari in Pakistan to bring down a terror unit. He infiltrates a Baloch gang, marries the daughter of a Lyari politician and integrates into the society there to do this.
As per the latest buzz, The first movie was rolled out in theatres on December 5, 2025, and Dhurandhar 2 on March 19 this year. Ranveer, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, and Danish Pandor star in the two films. The first movie collected ₹ 1307 crore rupees worldwide, while the sequel grossed ₹ 1790 crore rupees.
In further updates, Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and movie festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several movie festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent movie/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified movie critic. When not watching films or in conversation with celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and star culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha Read More
Source: Hindustan Times