The casting of Sara Arjun opposite Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar sparked widespread conversation after the trailer release, especially around the noticeable age gap between the two actors. Now, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed that he and director Aditya Dhar were initially unsure about finalising her for the role.

Speaking exclusively with Bollywood Hungama, Chhabra explained that the team had always planned to cast a completely fresh face for the character rather than a familiar actress. He said, “From the beginning, Aditya and I were very clear that we needed a face that looked like she belonged to that world. There should be no baggage. A new face works better. If we had cast someone who had already done two films, the connection would not feel right because the boy is meeting her there for the first time.”

He added, “Sara had done a few films as a child actor but as a full-fledged heroine in a Bollywood film she had never done that before. The idea was to cast the character, not think of it as casting a typical lead.”
Over 1,000 auditions were conducted before shortlisting Sara Arjun
Chhabra revealed that the team conducted an extensive audition process that lasted nearly a year before narrowing down the options. “We were very clear that if we are entering that world, the audience should feel surprised about who the girl is. We did more than 1,200 to 1,300 auditions. It was clear that we wanted a new face and we were craving a new face.”

He also shared that the brief required someone who looked authentic to the setting of the film and could handle both Hindi and Urdu fluently while carrying innocence and simplicity on screen. “My brief was very clear. She should look like she belongs there. The language had to be correct. Her Hindi had to be very clear and her Urdu also had to be very clear. There had to be innocence and simplicity on her face because Ranveer’s character is drawn to that girl.”

According to Chhabra, the shortlist gradually narrowed from hundreds to just a handful of candidates before Sara stood out with a key audition scene. “We came down to 100, then 50, then 30, then 20 and finally 10. After auditioning the final 10, there were three or four very good actors but Sara was closest to what the brief needed. There were two or three others who were also close, but she matched it exactly.”
Makers initially felt she looked too young
Chhabra admitted that both he and Aditya Dhar initially wondered whether Sara Arjun looked too young for the role. They decided to conduct another look test before taking the final call. “Initially we felt she looked a little young. We thought let us do one more look test and change the makeup slightly so she does not appear too young. That doubt was there in the beginning.”

After the additional look test, the team became confident about the casting decision and finalised her for the role. “We did another look test here with a different makeup approach and then it worked. It is a very tough job.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: “2-3 actors rejected Jameel Jamali role in Dhurandhar before Rakesh Bedi came on board,” reveals Mukesh Chhabra