Did Akshaye Khanna Keep His Distance From All On Dhurandhar Sets? Co-Star Naveen Kaushik Reveals

Akshaye Khanna's on-screen right-hand in the 'Dhurandhar' film, Naveen Kaushik, reveals that the actor maintained distance from everyone on the sets of the movie.

By Siddhi Chatterjee Last Updated: Jan 6, 2026 | 23:39:52 IST

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Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar has been one of the most talked-about movies of 2026. The Aditya Dhar-directed movie has rocked at the box office, and the record collection is unbreakable. Fans have been obsessed with Ranveer's character, 'Hamza Ali Ansari', and Akshaye Khanna's role as 'Rehman Dakait'. However, did Akshaye Khanna maintain a distance from his co-stars on the sets of Dhurandhar? Naveen Kaushik, who played the right hand of Akshaye Khanna in the film, revealed details related to the same.

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Akshaye Khanna used to retreat back to his space on the sets of Dhurandhar?

Naveen Kaushik, who played the character of 'Donga', 'Rehman’s right-hand man and 'Hamza’s fellow gang-member, has now spilled the beans on how Akshaye and Ranveer were on the sets. Both the stars played their role with excellence in the spy action movie, Dhurandhar. Naveen, in a recent interview with Siddharth Kanan, shared that on set, Ranveer Singh always treated the entire crew like friends. However, Akshaye Khanna was known to maintain a certain distance from all. Naveen shared that Akshaye was someone who liked to find comfort in his own space. Naveen revealed:

"Akshaye Khanna, on the other hand, maintained a certain distance — mostly because he was deeply invested in his character. Interestingly, the on-screen dynamic translated into real life as well. You’d see all the gang members sitting together, laughing and having fun, while Rahman Dakait would sit a little apart. That’s how it was throughout the shoot. If we went up to him for a conversation, he would speak very warmly. But once the conversation ended, he would retreat back into his space."

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Naveen Kaushik reveals that Akshaye Khanna in real life is like his on-screen character of 'Rahman Dakait'

Naveen Kaushik also revealed he was not sure whether Akshaye Khanna was doing method acting, just like 'Rahman Dakait', who was portrayed as quiet, observant, and unpredictable. Naveen shared that Akshaye Khanna's character was very similar to that of 'Rahman Dakait' in real life. The actor likes to be away from chaos and just focus on the sets and his character. Naveen also revealed that Ranveer is totally different than his on-screen role as 'Hamza'. Naveen revealed:

"Hamza is completely different from Ranveer. Ranveer is a ball of energy — a thousand-volt electric current. Whenever he’s on set, he greets everyone. He doesn’t like people sitting around lazily. These two characters — Hamza and Rahman — are poles apart. Every time the director said ‘cut’, Ranveer would instantly switch back to being himself, unless it was a very serious scene. He had a child-like curiosity throughout, with absolutely no ‘I am a huge star’ tantrums.”

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Naveen Kaushik feels Ranveer Singh should have received more recognition

Well, speaking of Dhurandhar, Akshaye's performance as the Karachi gangster, 'Rahman Dakait, became a major talking point post the release of Dhurandhar. However, Naveen also revealed that Ranveer Singh as spy 'Hamza Ali Ansari a.k.a 'Jaskirat Singh Rangi' deserved more recognition than Akshaye Khanna. Naveen shared that he does feel it is unfair. This is because Akshaye Khanna undoubtedly created an iconic character that will be remembered for years to come. But what Ranveer did 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, Naveen thinks, is extremely difficult.

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What are your views on Naveen Kaushik revealing Akshaye Khanna retreating back to his own space on the sets of Dhurandhar?

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