R Madhavan reveals Akshaye, Arjun broke down after 26/11 shoot

R Madhavan reveals how Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal reacted after filming the 26/11 sequence in Dhurandhar -- and why the moment changed everything on set.

The success of Dhurandhar may be measured in box office numbers, but behind one of its most talked-about sequences lies a far more personal story. According to R Madhavan, filming the recreation of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks left co-stars Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal emotionally shattered.

In a recent conversation with Sonia Shenoy, Madhavan revealed that both actors “broke down completely” after shooting a particularly harrowing scene. The moment, he said, unfolded not during the take, but after the cameras stopped rolling -- when the weight of what they had just portrayed truly sank in.

Released on December 5, 2025, Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, emerged as one of the year’s biggest commercial hits. Starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt, the espionage thriller drew widespread attention for its realistic staging of real-life events.

Khanna and Rampal portrayed Pakistani characters whose on-screen reactions appeared celebratory in the aftermath of the attacks. Though scripted, performing such roles proved deeply unsettling. Madhavan explained that both actors had lived through those turbulent years and had witnessed the country’s collective trauma firsthand. The emotions, he suggested, were impossible to switch off.

Madhavan described an atmosphere thick with tension. Once the director called cut, the faade dissolved. “They cried uncontrollably,” he recalled, adding that it was at that moment he realised the film was “very special”. For him, the breakdown was not weakness but proof of the cast’s emotional investment.

The film follows an Indian intelligence operative embedded in Karachi’s criminal underworld, attempting to dismantle a terror network threatening national security. Its gritty tone and layered performances contributed significantly to its strong reception.