‘Wanted performers over so-called stars’: Dhurandhar producer reveals why Ranveer Singh was cast in the film

Ranveer Singh received immense praise for his performance in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. The film was directed by Aditya Dhar.

Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, shattered records upon release last year and became a massive blockbuster. Directed by Aditya Dhar, it featured Ranveer as an Indian spy on a mission in Pakistan. The film grossed over ₹1300 crore 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.

Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar was released in theatres on December 5, 2025. (Netflix)

What Jyoti said

Talking about mounting the film 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 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, 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.”

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 film to shoot. Now, if we added expensive actors as well, it was going to render the film 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 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 the Gully Boy, he becomes the Gully Boy. So he transforms; he doesn’t play Ranveer Singh.”

About Dhurandhar

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.

The first film was released 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 film collected ₹1307 crore worldwide, while the sequel grossed ₹1790 crore.