Dhurandhar Actor Naveen Kaushik On First Scene With Akshaye Khanna: 'I Felt Intimidated'

As Dhurandhar continues its strong run at the box office, actor Naveen Kaushik is reflecting on some of the most intense moments from the film’s shoot, including his first on-screen interaction with Akshaye Khanna. In an exclusive conversation with Zoom following the film’s theatrical release, Kaushik spoke about sharing screen space with Khanna and Ranveer Singh, and the impact both actors had on him during filming.

Recalling his initial scene with Akshaye Khanna, Kaushik admitted that the experience was daunting. “I think the only time I felt intimidated was when I had my first scene with Akshaye sir. He brought this dark presence of Rehman (Dakait) onto the set which made me step away. However, being the wonderful person that he is, Akshaye sir very

soon put us all at ease by talking to us and working with us to refine our acting in the scenes,” he said.

Kaushik, who plays Donga in director Aditya Dhar’s film, also spoke at length about working closely with Khanna through the shoot. Describing the experience as deeply enriching, he said it pushed him to grow as a performer. “I learnt so much from Akshaye sir about the craft of acting, even though I have been at it for 25 years. The way he changed the mood, the rhythm, and the feel of scenes. He would always have a surprising moment up his sleeve, which he would pull out and catch us all off guard, which is amazing for any actor to pull off.”

Sharing his experience with Ranveer Singh, Kaushik highlighted both the actor’s energy and his generosity on set. “The scenes I had with Ranveer were exceptionally well written, and I was beyond excited to work with someone of his aura and energy. He guided me a lot during the climax fight sequences and gave nothing but encouragement and joy to boost my confidence,” he said.

He further noted how Singh handled his position as a leading star on the project. “I really understood what the responsibility of stardom is and how someone handles that with love, compassion, and grace. He knew everyone’s name, he had his own inside jokes with everyone, and I cannot count the number of times he boosted the morale of everyone on set with his speeches and “LET’S KILL IT” calls.”

On the commercial front, Dhurandhar has delivered an impressive opening. As per Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 207.25 crore in its first week. Its India gross currently stands at Rs 287.75 crore, while overseas earnings are pegged at Rs 85 crore, taking the worldwide total to Rs 372.75 crore.

The film follows Intelligence Bureau chief Ajay Sanyal, portrayed by R. Madhavan, as he leads a high-risk mission to dismantle a Pakistan-based terror network. Ranveer Singh plays a Punjabi man recruited from prison and trained to penetrate Karachi’s criminal underworld. Shot across Thailand, Mumbai, Punjab and Ladakh between July 2024 and October 2025, the film runs for 214 minutes, making it one of the longest theatrical releases in Indian cinema.

Dhurandhar also attracted attention for receiving an ‘A’ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification due to its depiction of the IC-814 Kandahar hijacking, references to the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, and Operation Lyari.

The franchise is set to expand with Dhurandhar 2, which has been announced for release on March 19, 2026. The sequel is expected to face box office competition from Yash’s upcoming action film Toxic.