‘Ranveer is trying to…’: Mukesh Chhabra on casting 20-year-old Sara Arjun in Dhurandhar; drops hint about part 2
Casting director Mukesh Chhabra explains why 20-year-old Sara Arjun was cast opposite Ranveer Singh (40) in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar
When it was initially announced that 20-year-old Sara Arjun will be seen in Dhurandhar opposite Ranveer Singh, who turned 40 this year, netizens had a lot to say. Many questioned the 20-year age gap between the two actors and wondered what the reason behind it could be in the film. But when the Aditya Dhar film arrived in theatres, audiences couldn’t deny Ranveer and Sara’s natural onscreen chemistry. Well, Dhurandhar’s casting director Mukesh Chhabra has now revealed the reason behind the age gap, and how Sara was chosen out of the 1300 girls who auditioned for the role.
In a recent chat with Free Press Journal, talking about casting Sara Arjun in Dhurandhar opposite Ranveer Singh, Mukesh Chhabra shared, “I am very happy that a lot of directors, including Aditya, are now giving more chances to newcomers. So, my idea was that we are creating the whole world. So, we are doing surprise casting, and this girl should look completely fresh. Even though she has been a child actor and has done a couple of films as a child actor, we wanted to give a fresh approach. So, I have been working with Sara for many years, and she has been coming for auditions. She is really a lovely girl. When she gave the audition, I saw the hidden talent behind her sweet face. She is such an amazing actor, you will see that in part 2. You will be surprised.”
When asked if Ranveer and Sara’s 20-year age gap came to his mind during casting, Mukesh explained, “No, I had got a very clear brief. The story is that he (Ranveer) is trying to trap her (Sara). So, we knew that we wanted a young girl who is 20-21 years old. And when part 2 comes, whoever is talking about the age gap will get all the answers. It's not like we don't have good actors in that 26-27 years of age group; we have good actors. But this was (age gap) required in the film. Everything you can't explain to people. When I was also reading about the age gap, I was laughing. According to the film's brief, it is correct.”
Well, we can’t wait to see Ranveer and Sara together again in Dhurandhar 2 when the sequel arrives in theatres on March 19, 2026.
