Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director of the ‘Dhurandhar’ film franchise, recently shared that several actresses wanted to play the film’s female lead. He went on to share why they cast Sara Arjun instead of any other actress. Let’s learn more about what he has to say.
Mukesh Chhabra reveals many actresses approached to play the female lead
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Mukesh Chhabra was asked about Sara Arjun’s casting as Yalina in the movie. Talking about it, Chhabra said, “Aditya ko bhi bahut saare log message kar rahe the ki unhe Ranveer ke opposite cast hona hai; mujhe bhi messages aarahe the. But I told Aditya very clearly, ‘Hume ek aisa face chahiye jo sirf uss jagah ka lage, koi purana baggage naa ho’ (Many people were messaging Aditya, saying they wanted to be cast opposite Ranveer; I was getting messages too. But I told Aditya very clearly, ‘We need a face that looks like it truly belongs to that place, without any prior baggage’).”
Mukesh Chhabra shares why the picked Sara Arjun for Yalina’s role
Chhabra further shared that they needed a new face because any actress who has worked with Ranveer previously would not be able to establish that connection, as his character is supposed to meet her in Pakistan.The casting director further added that, hence, they needed a completely fresh face. He shared that though Sara had done films as a child actor, she never featured as a lead actress in a Bollywood movie.Chhabra said, “We were clear ki agar hum uss duniya main jaa rah hain, toh ekdum surprise hona chahiye ki ladki kaun hai. Hume itne auditions kiya, 1200-1300 auditions kiye, aur fir humne Sara ko final audition kiya. We were also craving a new face (We were clear that if we were entering that world, it should be a complete surprise who the girl is. We conducted so many auditions—around 1200 to 1300—and then we finalized Sara after her audition. We were also craving a new face).”
More about ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film has earned over Rs 1500 crore globally. The espionage thriller stars Ranveer Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, and Sara Arjun. It was released in cinemas on March 19, 2026.
