New Delhi, April 3 -- Actor Akshaye Khanna has been receiving widespread praise for his portrayal of the ruthless Rahman Dakait in Dhurandhar, but the role almost went to someone else. In fact, it was turned down by three actors before eventually landing with him, casting director Mukesh Chhabra has revealed.

In a recent interview, Chhabra shared that one actor from the South film industry and two from Bollywood had declined the role, citing what he described as an unusual reason. According to him, the actors were hesitant because Dhurandhar was perceived as an ensemble film led by Ranveer Singh.

"They said, 'This is an ensemble cast' and 'This is Ranveer Singh's film'," Chhabra said, adding that the reasoning left him disappointed, giv...