Jio Studios President and Dhurandhar co-producer Jyoti Deshpande has revealed that the blockbuster epic exceeded its budget several times during production, but the team pushed forward because of their unwavering belief in the project, reports The Indian Express.
Speaking to Outlook Business, Deshpande reflected on the ambitious journey behind Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, saying the film’s scale continued to grow throughout production, eventually evolving into a two-part saga.
Deshpande admitted that Dhurandhar repeatedly exceeded its planned budget but said the production team remained committed to completing the vision.
“Dhurandhar is a project that overran multiple times, and I indulged it every time. I reinvented it. Somehow one part became two parts, but we found a way,” she said.
Asked what motivated the team to continue despite mounting costs, Deshpande credited the collective belief shared by the filmmakers.
“There was mad conviction,” she said.
Deshpande praised director Aditya Dhar, lead actor Ranveer Singh and the film’s technical crew for fully committing themselves to the project.
According to her, every department—from cinematography and sound design to editing—worked with the belief that they were creating something unprecedented.
“We all knew we were making something that had so much purpose and heart that had never been seen before. It was almost like, if we don’t do this, we’re not alive. We had to do this against all odds,” she said.
She added that the production team constantly searched for solutions rather than allowing financial challenges to halt progress.
Deshpande also revealed that the screenplay underwent several revisions over a six-month development period before filming began.
She said the team was aware of the film’s substantial production costs and wanted every investment to be reflected on screen.
“For more than six months, we discussed the story and worked through several drafts. We knew the film was expensive, and every penny had to be visible on screen,” she explained.
Instead of assembling a cast based solely on star value, the filmmakers prioritised actors capable of fully inhabiting their characters.
“If we added expensive stars as well, the film would become commercially unviable from day one. So we wanted performers rather than so-called stars,” she said.
Deshpande said Ranveer Singh had always been her preferred choice for the lead role, recalling that she had worked with him during the early stages of his career on Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani.
She described the actor as someone who completely immerses himself in every role.
“I find him an outstanding actor who gives everything to a character. He transforms completely. He isn’t Ranveer Singh on screen—he becomes Bajirao, Khilji or the Gully Boy. That’s what I admire about him,” she said.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh alongside Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun.
The two-part epic follows the story of an Indian spy operating in Pakistan and has emerged as one of Indian cinema’s biggest commercial successes, earning widespread acclaim for its scale, performances and storytelling.
