Dhurandhar is running strong at the box office, and Akshaye Khanna’s performance as a ruthless gangster has grabbed everyone’s attention. Amid the praise, some social media users suggested that R Madhavan
might feel sidelined. Madhavan has now cleared the air, saying he is genuinely happy for Akshaye.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Madhavan said, “Not at all! I cannot be happier for Akshaye. He deserves every bit of the adulation he is getting. What a talented actor! And to be so grounded. He could be giving a million interviews. But he is sitting in his new home, enjoying the silence that he has always cherished. I mean, I thought I was the underplayer when it came to public attention. But Akshaye Khanna is on another level. He just doesn’t care. Success, failure are all the same to him.”
He added, “Just being part of Dhurandhar is enough. The film is making history, and I am glad to be part of it. Neither Akshaye nor the director Aditya Dhar are interested in cashing in on the success.”
Directed, written, and co-produced by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. Madhavan plays Ajay Sanyal, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, while Akshaye portrays Rehman Dakait, the Baloch gang leader.
In the first instalment of a two-part film series, it follows a decade-long Indian intelligence operation where an undercover agent infiltrates Karachi’s criminal and political underworld. Strong word-of-mouth and the cast’s performances have helped Dhurandhar collect over Rs 483 crore in just 15 days at the Indian box office. Although the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has labeled the film as fiction, it takes inspiration from actual events, including geopolitical conflicts, the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and R&AW’s covert operations during Operation Lyari.
The sequel, Dhurandhar: Part 2 – Revenge, releases on March 19, 2026.
