‘They Cried Uncontrollably’: R Madhavan on Dhurandhar actors’ reaction to 26/11 scene

Actor R Madhavan has opened up about one of the most emotionally difficult moments while filming Dhurandhar, revealing how co-stars Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal were left deeply shaken after shooting a sequence recreating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

R Madhavan on how Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal reacted after the 26/11 scene

The actor said the experience changed the atmosphere on set and convinced him that the film was destined to become something far more meaningful than a conventional action drama.

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.

Madhavan described an atmosphere thick with tension. Once the director called cut, the façade 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.

“After that scene ended, they broke down completely. They cried uncontrollably. It wasn't just acting for them. They have lived through those times. They have seen real incidents like that. It brought back memories,” he said, explaining why the moment affected everyone present on set.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released in December 2025 and went on to become one of the biggest Hindi film successes of the year, praised for combining an espionage thriller narrative with real historical events. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt, and follows an undercover Indian intelligence operative navigating criminal and political networks to dismantle a terror operation threatening national security.

More about the actual incident

The emotionally charged scene that Madhavan referred to recreates the night of the 26 November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks — one of the darkest chapters in modern Indian history.

On that night, ten heavily armed terrorists carried out coordinated attacks across multiple locations in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, CST railway station and Nariman House.

The attacks lasted nearly three days, claiming over 160 lives and leaving hundreds injured, while the nation watched events unfold live on television.

26/11 as depicted in Dhurandhar

In Dhurandhar, the sequence is presented through the perspective of characters linked to the terror network. Akshaye Khanna and Arjun Rampal portray Pakistani figures whose on-screen personas are shown celebrating the attacks, while Ranveer Singh’s undercover agent is forced to remain silent despite witnessing the horror unfold. According to Madhavan, performing these morally complex scenes proved emotionally overwhelming for the actors once filming ended.

The film’s portrayal of 26/11 has already sparked strong reactions among audiences and survivors. One survivor described a particular sequence — featuring authentic recordings and stark visual imagery — as “bone chilling”, highlighting how closely the filmmakers attempted to recreate the emotional reality of the attacks rather than simply staging spectacle.

Beyond its emotional impact, Dhurandhar also achieved remarkable commercial success, running strongly in theatres even after its digital release and setting new box-office benchmarks for a Hindi film.

The response has paved the way for a sequel, Dhurandhar 2, which will continue the espionage storyline and expand the narrative across multiple languages. The sequel is scheduled for a March release and will see Aditya Dhar return as writer-director, with the story picking up from the unfinished threads of the undercover mission introduced in the first instalment.

However, the upcoming film has already drawn attention for off-screen reasons as well. Reports suggest that municipal authorities in Mumbai are examining alleged on-set rule violations linked to the production, even as anticipation among audiences remains high.