Have you heard? Nagarjuna denies being offered Akshaye Khanna’s role in Dhurandhar; Bhumi Pednekkar on Takht shelving

Akshaye Khanna in ‘Dhurandhar’; (right) Nagarjuna Akkineni. Pics/Nimesh Dave, Youtube, Instagram

There's only one Rehman Dakait

It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar (2025). While recent rumours suggested that filmmaker Aditya Dhar had first approached Nagarjuna Akkineni for the role, the South superstar has now rubbished them. Nagarjuna told Bollywood Hungama, "I was not offered Akshaye Khanna's role in Dhurandhar, I wish I was." The actor heaped praise on the action thriller, before adding, "[It had] incredible direction by Aditya Dhar. I loved his earlier film, Uri [The Surgical Strike, 2019] also."

A big miss

Bhumi Pednekkar and Karan Johar

Remember the magnum opus, Takht, which Karan Johar had announced in 2019 with Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekkar, and Janhvi Kapoor? In the latest episode of mid-day's Sit with Hitlist, Bhumi reflected on her disappointment after the period drama did not take off amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "At that time, there was so much happening in my life that I didn't realise what the film not happening could mean. But it's a big opportunity that didn't happen," she recalled, adding that Takht was a big miss for all actors involved.