Dhurandhar actor Arjun Rampal reveals why he felt ‘horrible’ after playing mastermind ISI Major

Dhurandhar star Arjun Rampal, who played ISI chief Iqbal in the film, shared about his experience on Aditya Dhar's espionage thriller and how he juggled with moral dilemma for his dark character.

Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar is still making headlines for its crazy box office collection that is not slowing down even after nearly three weeks of its theatrical premiere. Be it Ranveer Singh’s charisma or Akshay Khanna and Arjun Rampal’s deadly gangster looks, Dhurandhar has turned into a massive blockbuster of 2025. Recently, Arjun Rampal, who played an ISI Major in the film, opened up about his character and how he felt horrible to portray a dark role as patriotic feelings stirred his dilemma.

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Arjun Rampal on his Dhurandhar role

Dhurandhar’s characters are inspired by real people, and fans hailed the actors for bringing the roles to life. A successful movie not just centers around the main hero but also on the solid script and the ensemble cast. Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandhar has proved its mettle with its iconic cast, chilling crime drama, and viral songs like FA9LA and Shararat. Arjun Rampal, who played ISI chief Iqbal in the film, shared about his experience on Dhurandhar. The actor also opened up on playing a negative or dark role with a chilling history of Mumbai’s 26/11 terror attacks.

Sharing his challenges of the role, Arjun told Grazia, “I wanted to get out of the character as soon as I could. One of the important reasons to do it was because it is an important film to do. To see the event is one thing, but what happened behind the scenes to see those events taking place is something that would excite me as an audience.”

Also Read: Dhurandhar surpasses Kantara Chapter 1 and Chhaava by massive margins at worldwide box office; Becomes no 1 Indian film of 2025

Arjun, who has previously played iconic antagonistic roles in Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om and Ra.One, also revealed that he felt horrible to play a role who is allegedly a mastermind of Mumbai’s harrowing terror attacks. “I felt horrible doing it because you love your country so much, but I guess that’s what an actor’s job is, and you just dive into it,” added Rampal.

Dhurandhar’s cast and Box Office reports

From the makers of Uri: The Surgical Strike comes another promising thriller with Ranveer Singh as an intelligence officer. Dhurandhar has already broken several records of Hindi blockbusters like Jawaan and Animal, as it collected Rs 589.50 crore after 19 days of its theatrical run as per Sacnilk. The movie features Akshaye Khanna as Lyari gangster Rehman Dakait, one of the terrorizing villains of 2025. R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Sara Arjun also play key roles in the star-studded ensemble.

After the solid success of Dhurandhar, the makers announced that a sequel is on the way and is slated to premiere on March 19, 2026, with a tough clash with Yash’s Toxic.

Dhurandhar FAQs:

Q: What is the total collection of Dhurandhar?

A: Dhurandhar collected Rs. 589.50 crore as per Sacnilk and surpassed blockbusters like Animal and Jawan.

Q. Arjun Rampal plays what in Dhurandhar?

A. Arjun Rampal plays a negative character in Dhurandhar. He essays ISI Major Iqbal, the mastermind behind Mumbai's terror attacks.

Q: Who is the director of Dhurandhar?

A: Dhurandhar is spearheaded by Aditya Dhar, who is known for Uri: The Surgical Strike.

Q: Is Dhurandhar sequel confirmed?

A: Yes, Dhurandhar Part 2 will hit cinemas on March 19, 2026 and is expected to clash with Yash’s Toxic.

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