The action in ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ has already left audiences stunned, but according to action director Aejaz Gulab, what made it to the screen is only about 60% of what was originally shot.

The revelation offers a glimpse into the film’s much darker and more violent vision, much of which was ultimately trimmed before release.

Speaking about the making of the sequel, Gulab revealed that director Aditya Dhar encouraged the team to push boundaries in designing action sequences.

The brief was clear: make it as raw, grounded, and brutal as possible. Dhar reportedly gave the stunt team complete creative freedom, asking them to imagine the most intense and realistic ways to execute combat scenes.

“We shot the brutality in detail,” Gulab shared, adding that Dhar wanted the violence to feel “manly” and authentic rather than stylised or exaggerated.

However, a significant portion of these graphic moments did not make it into the final cut. The decision, he explained, was influenced by concerns over how the film would be consumed on OTT platforms and the need to cater to a wider audience without triggering censorship hurdles.

Despite the cuts, the scale and intensity of the action remain one of the film’s biggest highlights. Several sequences were not rigidly planned, with some of the most striking moments emerging spontaneously during filming.

Gulab cited a sequence set in a masjid in which the character Hamza uses debris to kill an opponent as an example of on-the-spot improvisation that added to the film’s gritty realism.

The climax, which runs for over 30 minutes, was particularly demanding. The team spent nearly six days rehearsing and close to two weeks filming the masjid portion alone.

Maintaining continuity during such a long and physically taxing shoot required meticulous coordination, with departments constantly referring to photographs to ensure consistency in costumes, makeup, and injuries.

The action sequences also took a toll on the lead actors. Ranveer Singh and Arjun Rampal reportedly sustained multiple injuries while filming, especially during a chain-fight scene.

Although rubber chains were used for safety, the scenes remained physically exhausting. Both actors chose to continue shooting despite the injuries, underlining the film’s commitment to realism.

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, a sequel to the 2025 hit ‘Dhurandhar’, has already generated significant buzz for its scale, long runtime, and intense storytelling.

Reports suggest the film has performed strongly at the box office, even as it sparked debates around its political undertones and required cuts from the censor board.

The latest revelation reinforces that what audiences witnessed in theatres is essentially a toned-down version of a much more violent original vision, one that pushed the limits of action filmmaking but had to be reined in for broader acceptance.