Akshaye Khanna’s viral dance from Dhurandhar was spontaneous; ‘He would carry a small oxygen cylinder…’
Dhurandhar's choreographer reveals the story behind Akshaye Khanna's viral dance scene from Dhurandhar
Ranveer Singh’s performance and transformation in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has been lauded by all. But another star in the frame, who has now become the talk of the town, is Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait. Those who have watched the film have firsthand witnessed Akshaye’s unmatched aura. He steals the show every time he walks into the scene. And those who haven’t watched Dhurandhar yet have been gushing over Akshaye’s viral dance video in an unforgettable scene, on the Arabic track FA9LA, sung by Bahrainian rapper Flipperachi. But did you know this scene was spontaneously choreographed by Akshaye himself?
Revealing the same in a chat with Mid Day, choreographer Vijay Ganguly shared, “The song is a celebration of Akshaye’s character being crowned as the Sher-E-Baloch. Originally, he was supposed to enter, walk through the dancers, and sit on the throne. Seeing the scene’s mood and the dancers’ performance, the fantastic actor that Akshaye is, he said he would dance a bit when he walks in. None of us knew what he was going to do. Akshaye entered the scene, took it from that point, and spontaneously performed.”
Talking about the challenges of shooting in Ladakh, where Akshaye Khanna suffered from high-altitude sickness during filming, Vijay stated, “Akshaye would carry a small oxygen cylinder with him. When we were shooting this song, his oxygen level had dropped. So, after every shot, he would put the oxygen mask on. He did the sequence unflinchingly, and then went home.” Despite all these challenges, Akshaye managed to give an unforgettable take as the Sher-E-Baloch. Kudos to the actor!
Also starring Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan and Rakesh Bedi, Dhurandhar is currently ruling the box office. Fans are now eagerly waiting for the sequel, Dhurandhar 2, which is set to release on March 19, 2026.
