Dhurandhar producer reveals why Ranveer Singh was chosen for Aditya Dhar's action thriller: 'Wanted performers, not so-called stars'

Ranveer Singh’s roaring performance in Dhurandhar not only shattered box-office records but also reminded audiences why he remains one of Bollywood’s most dynamic performers. As the action blockbuster continues to dominate headlines, producer Jyoti Deshpande has finally opened up about the real reason why Ranveer was chosen for Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller.

Jyoti Deshpande on casting Ranveer Singh

In a recent conversation with Outlook Business, Dhurandhar producer and Jio Studios CEO Jyoti Deshpande opened up about the decision to cast Ranveer Singh as the film’s lead. She said, "There were no safe things we could do because it was already an expensive film to shoot. Now, if we added expensive actors as well, it was going to render the film unviable on day one."

Stating her choice of picking performers over so-called actors, Deshpande said, "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 actor who gives it all. He transforms into a character. I love that about him, the fact that he is not Ranveer Singh in that film. When he has to become Bajirao, he becomes Bajirao. When he has to become Khilji, he becomes Khilji. When he has to become Gully Boy, he becomes Gully Boy. So he transforms; he doesn’t play Ranveer Singh.”

Jyoti Deshpande recalls the efforts of everyone involved in Dhurandhar

For the much-acclaimed project with Aditya Dhar, Deshpande shared how everyone in the crew wanted the film to hit the ground. She 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 actor, who went all in and did nothing else for the duration of the film."

"Every technician who was part of that film, whether it’s cinematography, sound design, or 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," Deshpande added.

About Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar is an Indian spy-action thriller film directed by Aditya Dhar. It is divided into two parts and follows a high-stakes covert operation in which an undercover RAW agent infiltrates the dangerous underworld of Lyari in Karachi, Pakistan, to dismantle a terror network and fracture the nexus between criminal syndicates and the ISI. From the heart-touching narrative and strong performances, the film became one of the highest-grossing films, earning over Rs 2,700 crore worldwide, reportedly.

Alongside Singh, the project also features acclaimed performances from several other stars, including R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun, and many more.