Actress Saumya Tandon Reveals She Was Terrified To Slap Akshaye Khanna in ‘Dhurandhar’, Says Director Aditya Dhar Told Her To ‘Go for It’ As Chemistry Sparked Naturally on Set

Actress Saumya Tandon, who impressed audiences with her portrayal of Ulfat, the wife of Rehman Dakait (played by Akshaye Khanna) in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, has shared her behind-the-scenes experience from one of the film’s most intense sequences. Saumya Tandon Calls ‘Dhurandhar’ Role Her 'Most Intense', Praises Co-stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, Calls Ranveer's Act His 'Finest'.

Saumya Tandon on Working With Akshaye Khanna

In a recent chat with Mid-Day, Tandon revealed she was initially hesitant to take up the role as the script was kept under wraps. “The script wasn’t narrated to me completely because it was meant to be under wraps. I had no idea they were going to make it in two parts. Initially, my reaction was that this was a small role, but I was very excited to work with Aditya because he’s one of my favourite directors,” she said. Talking about working with Akshaye Khanna, she shared, “I didn’t even have time to interact with Akshaye, but I genuinely think we had great chemistry. Somehow, just through our eyes, there was so much camaraderie between the two of us.”

Saumya Tandon Recalls Slapping Akshaye Khanna

The actress also opened up about filming the highly charged “slap scene” confessing she was terrified. “I initially tried to fake the motion, but Aditya told me, ‘Don’t fake it, just go for it.’ I looked at Akshaye and asked, ‘Should I go for it?’ and he very casually said, ‘Go for it.’ So I did. I felt terrible slapping him, but I just went ahead and did it.” Post-release, Dhurandhar faced criticism for allegedly being misogynistic, a label Tandon firmly rejected. “People don’t understand the difference between a male-dominated film and misogyny. Misogyny is when women are put down, and that is not what this movie does. Women are treated with dignity,” she clarified. Saumya Tandon Asks for Financial Support From Fans for Her ‘Dearest Loveliest’ Friend Vibhu Raghave’s Cancer Treatment (View Post)

Saumya Tandon Shares Post on X - See Post

About 'Dhurandhar'

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released on December 5, 2025 and went on to collect over INR 350 crore worldwide, featuring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, Sara Arjun and Danish Pandor in pivotal roles.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2025 05:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).