'Dhurandhar' Actor Naveen Kaushik Feels Ranveer Singh Deserved More Recognition Than Akshaye Khanna
Actor Naveen Kaushkik said Ranveer Singh deserved more recognition for his performance in 'Dhurandhar' than Akshaye Khanna.
'Dhurandhar', directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, has been on a record-breaking spree since its release in cinemas on December 5, 2025. The Hindi film, based on espionage and real-life incidents, has already surpassed the Rs 750 crore mark in India and is showing no signs of slowing down at the ticket counters. Ever since the positive reception of the film, major applause has been coming the way of Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer, and there is a certain section which believes that the latter has not received as much due as he deserved.
Actor Naveen Kaushik, who played the role of Donga in the film, has now shared that sentiment, saying Ranveer deserved more recognition for his performance than Akshaye Khanna, who played the role of gangster Rahman Daikat.
“I do feel it’s unfair. Akshaye sir has undoubtedly created an iconic character that will be remembered for years. But what Ranveer has done as an actor: the tiny nuances, his voice modulation, for someone who is so energetic in real life to suppress all of that and play the complete opposite, it’s extremely difficult,” Naveen said in a conversation with Siddharth Kannan.
“In the famous FA9LA song, everyone in the scene is dancing – except Ranveer Singh. To restrain yourself in a moment like that is incredibly hard. But people didn’t notice it because of Akshaye sir’s commanding aura. Ranveer’s character is deliberately underplayed. He doesn’t seek attention. In the film, the first man in command is Akshaye, followed by Danish. If Ranveer had ego issues, he could have easily tried to draw focus to himself – but he didn’t. An insecure actor would have done that. Ranveer stayed true to his character and allowed someone else to shine," he added.
For the uninitiated, 'Dhurandhar' also stars Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. The film earned Rs 4.75 crore in India on Monday, the 32nd day of its release. This was the lowest single-day earnings of the film to date. The total nett collection of the project currently stands at Rs 777 crore.
Worldwide, the film has surpassed the Rs 1200 crore mark, beating the lifetime collections of films like 'Pathaan', 'Jawan', 'Kalki 2898 AD', and more.
'Dhurandhar' uses real 26/11 footage and actual audio recordings of terrorist handlers as the spy espionage film is loosely based on real-life events. The film’s political stance was previously questioned by Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan. However, responding to those concerns, Danish Pandor told India TV that the film is rooted in deep research.
Fans won't have to wait long for the story to continue; the second instalment of the franchise is already locked for a theatrical release on March 19, 2026.
No new release has been able to overcome the challenge of 'Dhurandhar', and this fact led to Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday's 'Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri' underperforming at the box office. Even Sriram Raghavan's 'Ikkis', starring Agastya Nanda, the late Dharmendra, and Jaideep Ahlawat, has been performing under par.
According to Sacnilk, 'Ikkis' earned Rs 21.50 crore in its opening five days despite earning positive reviews from critics.
