'It can make a film or break it': Aditya Dhar thanks 'brother' Mukesh Chhabra for Dhurandhar's casting

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar has shared a heartfelt note appreciating casting director Mukesh Chhabra, crediting him as a key force behind the making of his upcoming film Dhurandhar. In a post on X, Dhar reflected on how Chhabra’s vision and belief in the project helped shape the film in ways he had not initially imagined.

“Here’s to Mukesh Chhabra, the man who saw Dhurandhar long before I truly did,” Dhar wrote, setting the tone for a deeply personal tribute. He added, “There are people who come into a film and do their job, and then there are people who quietly reshape the film itself. Mukesh was the latter.”

Pushing boundaries through casting

Dhar recalled that from the very first narration, Chhabra showed immense faith in the project. “From the very first narration, he believed in the scale, the ambition, the sheer possibility of Dhurandhar far more than I did. Where I was cautious, he was fearless,” he wrote.

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Highlighting the challenges of casting a large ensemble, Dhar noted that the process was overwhelming at times. “The casting of this film was never going to be easy… the sheer number of actors, the range of characters… it was overwhelming,” he said.

However, he credited Chhabra and his team for approaching the task with relentless energy. “My only brief to him was simple: bring me great actors, new or old, big or small, it doesn’t matter. And he turned that into a mission.”

The filmmaker described long creative discussions that went beyond routine work. “What followed were endless days and nights, sitting together, breaking down every character, debating, exploring, rejecting, discovering,” he wrote, adding that the process felt like “building something brick by brick with absolute honesty.”

Dhar also emphasised Chhabra’s approach to casting, noting, “For him, casting was never about filling roles, it was about finding people who belonged.”

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Beyond work, a personal bond

Beyond their professional collaboration, Dhar highlighted the personal equation he shares with Chhabra. “What I found in him was something even more rare, a friend, a well-wisher, a brother,” he wrote, adding that Chhabra stood by the film “with complete faith, even when mine wavered.”

He also used the opportunity to underline the importance of casting in filmmaking. “I truly hope this film makes people realise the power of casting… It can make a film or break it,” Dhar said, while noting that casting directors are still not celebrated enough in the industry.

“This film carries your choices in every single frame, Mukesh,” he added, signing off with “endless gratitude, respect and love.”

About the film 

Dhurandhar has emerged as one of the most successful films in recent Hindi cinema, setting the stage for a larger franchise. The first instalment, released in 2025, was widely appreciated for its scale, storytelling and performances, and quickly established itself as a major box office success. 

The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, released in March 2026, has gone on to surpass those expectations by a significant margin. The film opened to record-breaking numbers and has since crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark in India, becoming the first Hindi-language film to achieve this milestone.