R Madhavan recalled his co-stars Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal’s raw reaction after shooting the 26/11 sequence for Dhurandhar.
Sometimes when actors step into the skin of history, the line between performance and lived memory blurs. That’s exactly what happened on the set of Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandar.
Recently in a candid chat with Sonia Shenoy, R. Madhavan recalled how his co-stars Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal were shook to their core after recreating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks on screen for the film. He said that once the director called “cut,” both actors broke down, crying uncontrollably.
The actor shared, “They broke down completely. They cried uncontrollably. It wasn’t just acting for them. They have lived through those times. They have seen real incidents like that. It brought back memories.”
For the unversed, Akshaye Khanna essays Rehman Dakait, and Arjun Rampal brings Major Iqbal to life on screen in the film.
Madhavan admitted that at that moment, he realised Dhurandhar wasn’t just another action drama, but was destined to be something far more meaningful.
“It convinced me the film was very special. The emotional investment was real. That’s why the audience connected the way they did,” he said.
Inspired by true events, Dhurandhar is a two-part espionage thriller which follows Hamza Ali Mazhari (Ranveer Singh), a grief-stricken man recruited by RAW who infiltrates Karachi’s deadly Lyari underworld to dismantle a terror network. The first instalment of the film was a huge box office success upon its release.
