Paresh Rawal Says He Should Have Been In Dhurandhar After Watching Both Parts: 'Maza Ata'

Believe it or not, there are times when even the biggest stars sit back, watch a film, and think “yaar, I wish I was in this.” That’s exactly the kind of honest, almost childlike reaction Paresh Rawal had after watching one of the biggest blockbusters in recent times.

As Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise continues its record-breaking run globally, Paresh Rawal has opened up about his admiration for the films and a small regret. In a recent interaction with PTI, the veteran actor shared that he would have loved to be part of the project, calling the franchise much more than just a film.

Speaking about watching both installments, Paresh said, “Dekhi, Dhurandhar 1 and 2 dekhi, part 1 do baar dekhi, dusri ek baar dekhi, vapas dekhne jaana hai. Mujhe

hona chahiye tha ismein (I have watched both parts, watched part 1 twice and part 2 once, and I want to watch it again. I should have been a part of the film).”

He went on to describe the scale and impact of the film, adding, “I liked Dhurandhar a lot; it’s not just a film but a saga. For the first time, I felt I should have been part of it. Zindagi main pehli baar mujhe laga main hota ismein toh maza aata (For the first time in my life, I felt that it would have been fun if I had been in it).”

Paresh Rawal has previously collaborated with Aditya Dhar in Uri: The Surgical Strike, where he portrayed NSA Govind Bhardwaj, a character inspired by Ajit Doval. Interestingly, Dhurandhar also features a similar character arc, with R Madhavan stepping into a role influenced by the same figure. Reflecting on this overlap, Paresh noted that it was fascinating to see two distinct interpretations of a comparable character.

The actor had earlier addressed fan comparisons between his role and Madhavan’s portrayal. Reacting to a post on X that praised his performance in Uri: The Surgical Strike, Paresh responded with humour. The post read, “I quite liked @SirPareshRawal as Ajit Doval in Uri The Surgical Strike! Except that they didn’t show him smoke in the film.” Reposting it, the actor jokingly wrote, “Yes didn’t smoke but only broke the phones (laughter emoji).”

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a two-part spy thriller that follows an Indian operative, played by Ranveer Singh, who infiltrates the gangs of Lyari to dismantle a dangerous terror network. The film features an ensemble cast including Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Sara Arjun and Sanjay Dutt.

At the box office, the franchise has delivered historic numbers. While the first film grossed ₹1,300 crore worldwide, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has raced past that figure within just three weeks, crossing ₹1,500 crore globally. The sequel has also breached the ₹1,000 crore mark in India in record time and continues to perform strongly in theatres.

With these numbers, the film has overtaken several major blockbusters such as RRR, KGF: Chapter 2, Kalki 2898 AD, Jawan and Pathaan.