Mar 22, 2026 4:29pm IST
‘Dhurandhar 2’: Saumya Tandon Missed Akshaye Khanna As A Viewer; Says, ‘Films Should Focus On Performance-Based Acting And Not Just Marketing Set-Ups’ (EXCLUSIVE)
“Dhurandhar 2” has set cash registers ringing across ticket windows of Indian cinema halls. Aditya Dhar’s movie has brought many actors into the limelight. Saumya Tandon, who is known across India as Anita Bhabhi from the superhit sitcom "Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hain,” had a short role in the second movie as well.
Talking to Variety India, she said, “I actually do not have much to do in 'Dhurandhar 2.'" There is a scene of mine that has gone viral, but I wouldn't like to speak about it because I think I'd like them to see the movie first. I would say that it's a very intense scene, and it is basically at Rehman Dakait’s Maiyaat (funeral). It's a very complicated scene because she's again very angry, and also she's kind of in a situation where she's questioning. And she's desperate. I would just say that in this particular project, “Dhurandhar,” there were very many scenes where everything had to be expressed with your eyes.
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Saumya Tandon said this was the most challenging part of “Dhurandhar” movies. She plays Ulfath Rehman, who is the wife of Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna). The actress admits she missed Khanna immensely in the second film. “Of course, as a viewer, I missed him a lot. He was so good in the first film. But then this is a story, and it progresses after his death,” she said.
Earlier, Saumya had told us how they both are introverts but bonded over their shared love for books. However, she stayed tight-lipped when asked more details about the plot. “I would say that there is no backstory that I did like to reveal too much because otherwise I'm going to spoil it for the audience.”
Ram Gopal Varma has praised “Dhurandhar 2” to the skies, saying it will revolutionize how films are made in India henceforth. She said, “Definitely, it has kind of set a milestone because in this particular film, they broke many, you know, rules of screenplay writing." It was a very different kind of filmmaking. The way they portrayed violence was different. The use of background music was very interesting. Here, every single character was given its own due respect and place. And also the story in itself, the subject is so powerful, which is dealt with in a very realistic way as compared to what we have seen dramatized previously.”
Talking further, Saumya hopes this will promote more good content in India. She said, “It’s always better when a very good work of cinema or good content wins because then it also encourages the other people in the industry to up their game so that we keep getting good content. I think it's very good for the industry that from now on, people are not going to just think of setting up projects but really work hard on the script and the pre-production and the scale. And I think they will be now more focused on performance-based acting rather than just making marketing setups. I would say Aditya has done service for that by upping the game in Indian cinema.”
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