Naveen Kaushik, who plays the intense role of Donga in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar now streaming on Netflix, has pulled back the curtain on what it took to bring his action-packed character to life. In a candid conversation, the actor revealed that the production handed him actual guns for filming—with only the trigger pins removed—and shared how the physical and vocal demands of his climactic scenes left him recovering for days.
Naveen Kaushik, who plays Donga in Dhurandhar on Netflix, revealed he used real guns (with trigger pins removed) during filming, requiring weight training to handle them. His intense action sequences left his voice low for four days. The Aditya Dhar-directed film is being compared to Sholay for its memorable characters and emotional impact, with Kaushik drawing inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan’s sacrificial scene.
Naveen Kaushik’s Role as Donga in Dhurandhar: The Character That’s Capturing Attention
Donga represents one of the most physically and emotionally demanding roles in Dhurandhar, the Aditya Dhar directorial that’s currently trending on Netflix as part of the platform’s action-drama offerings. The character required Naveen Kaushik to tap into a primal intensity that goes beyond typical Bollywood action hero performances, demanding what the director himself described as “nothing but bloodlust in his eyes.”
Kaushik’s approach to the role involved extensive preparation that went far beyond memorizing lines and hitting marks. He studied multiple action films to understand how iconic sequences are constructed, how actors convey desperation and determination through physicality, and how to sustain high-energy performance through multiple takes. His philosophy of “imitation is also a form of flattery” guided his research, as he consciously paid tribute to action stars who had defined the genre before him.
The character’s arc culminates in a climactic sequence that pushed Kaushik to his physical and vocal limits. The scene required such sustained intensity—including prolonged screaming and aggressive physical action—that the actor’s voice remained hoarse and lowered for four consecutive days after filming wrapped. This kind of commitment to authenticity is what separates memorable performances from forgettable ones, and audiences responding to Dhurandhar are clearly recognizing that dedication on screen.
The Revelation: Dhurandhar Used Actual Guns with Trigger Pins Removed
Perhaps the most striking revelation from Naveen Kaushik’s interview is his disclosure that the production provided him with real firearms for his action sequences. “Dono guns jo unhone mujhe di thi woh actual guns thi,” he stated, explaining that both guns handed to him during filming were genuine weapons rather than rubber replicas or CGI props that would be added in post-production.
This authenticity came with significant challenges. Real guns, even those rendered non-functional through trigger pin removal, are substantially heavier than prop weapons. Kaushik acknowledged that handling them required specific physical preparation, leading him to undergo weight training specifically to build the arm and upper body strength necessary to wield the weapons convincingly throughout extended takes without visible strain or fatigue.
The use of actual firearms on film sets is relatively rare in contemporary Indian cinema, where insurance considerations, safety protocols, and the availability of high-quality replica props have made functional weapons unnecessary for most productions. That Dhurandhar opted for real guns suggests a commitment to visceral authenticity that aligns with Aditya Dhar’s reputation for grounded, realistic action sequences established in his previous work.
How Naveen Kaushik Prepared for Dhurandhar’s Intense Action Sequences
The preparation process for Kaushik’s role extended well beyond the weight training required to handle real firearms. The production assigned him a body double to handle the most technically complex and physically dangerous sequences—the high falls, the precision stunts, the moments where even minor errors could result in serious injury. Kaushik credits this body double not just for executing difficult stunts, but for serving as an informal technical advisor who helped him understand action choreography mechanics.
These technical details might seem minor to audiences watching the finished film, but they’re precisely what separates performances that feel authentic from those that betray an actor’s lack of familiarity with weapons and combat. Kaushik’s willingness to learn from his stunt double rather than relying entirely on them for action moments shows an understanding that even scenes where he’s not performing the most dangerous elements still require physical credibility.
The multiple takes required for his climactic solo shot presented their own challenges. Maintaining the same level of physical and emotional intensity across take after take, sometimes for technical reasons having nothing to do with performance—camera issues, lighting adjustments, background action coordination—demands stamina and focus. Kaushik’s admission that keeping up the energy across these multiple takes was difficult underscores the gap between action sequences as audiences experience them (a few minutes of screen time) and the hours or even days of filming required to capture them.
The Sholay Connection: Why Dhurandhar Is Being Compared to the Iconic Classic
The comparison between Dhurandhar and Sholay represents significant praise in Indian cinema context. Sholay isn’t just a successful film—it’s a cultural touchstone that defined action-drama storytelling for generations, created characters that transcended the movie itself to become part of popular consciousness, and set benchmarks for emotional resonance within commercial action frameworks. When viewers and industry professionals start drawing Sholay parallels, they’re recognizing something special.
Naveen Kaushik shared that multiple people reached out to him specifically to note how Dhurandhar is receiving the same kind of recognition that Sholay enjoyed—audiences remembering the characters individually, discussing the story’s emotional beats, feeling genuine investment in all the characters rather than just the leads. In Sholay, even supporting characters like Kalia and Sambha became memorable; in Dhurandhar, it seems characters like Donga are achieving similar staying power.
The comparison extends to specific character dynamics as well. Kaushik drew a parallel between Gabbar Singh, Sholay’s legendary antagonist, and Rahman Dakait in Dhurandhar. Both serve as forces of chaos and violence that the protagonists must confront, both command scenes through sheer presence, and both function as more than simple villains—they’re characters with their own codes and motivations that audiences can understand even while opposing them.
For his own performance, Kaushik explicitly referenced Amitabh Bachchan’s sacrificial moment in Sholay as a touchstone. That scene—where Jai makes the ultimate sacrifice—remains one of Hindi cinema’s most powerful emotional beats, combining action heroism with genuine pathos. Kaushik’s aspiration to channel that same combination of intensity and emotion in his Dhurandhar climax speaks to the level of performance he was reaching for.
The Sholay comparison also highlights what makes Dhurandhar resonate beyond just its action sequences. Sholay succeeded because it balanced spectacular action with character development, emotional stakes, and relationships that audiences cared about. If Dhurandhar is genuinely earning those comparisons rather than just receiving them as hyperbolic praise, it suggests Aditya Dhar has achieved a similar balance—using action as the framework for a story that works on emotional levels too.
Aditya Dhar’s Direction: Creating Bloodlust and Authentic Intensity on Screen
Director Aditya Dhar’s specific instruction to Naveen Kaushik—”I need nothing but bloodlust in his eyes”—reveals the precise emotional tone he was pursuing for Donga’s character. Bloodlust isn’t anger or aggression in generic terms; it’s a specific psychological state of desperate, almost primal violence driven by circumstances that have pushed a character beyond conventional morality. Achieving that on screen requires an actor to access dark emotional spaces that aren’t comfortable or easy.
Dhar’s reputation, built on his previous directorial work, centers on grounded realism even within commercial frameworks. He’s known for demanding authenticity in performance and technical execution, which explains the choice to use real guns despite the additional complications. For Dhar, the small details—how weight shifts when an actor moves with a real weapon versus a prop, how genuine physical strain shows in an actor’s face and body—accumulate into overall credibility that audiences might not consciously notice but definitely feel.
The director’s willingness to push for multiple takes until achieving the exact intensity he envisioned shows the perfectionist approach that often separates good films from great ones. Kaushik’s mention of redoing his climactic sequence multiple times wasn’t about the actor failing to deliver—it was about Dhar knowing precisely what the scene needed and not settling until camera captured it. That kind of directorial vision and persistence is what extracts career-best performances from actors.
The Physical and Vocal Toll: What Action Sequences Really Cost Actors
Naveen Kaushik’s admission that his voice remained low for four consecutive days after filming his intense Dhurandhar scenes offers a window into the physical reality of action performance that audiences rarely consider. The screaming, shouting, and vocal intensity required for combat sequences isn’t natural speech—it’s prolonged strain on vocal cords that can cause temporary damage similar to what singers experience after demanding performances.
The physical demands extended beyond just voice strain. Weight training to handle real firearms, executing action choreography across multiple takes, maintaining intense facial expressions and body language for extended periods—these accumulate into genuine physical exhaustion that affects actors for days after filming wraps. It’s why action sequences often film over multiple days even when they represent just minutes of screen time; human bodies need recovery time that filming schedules must accommodate.
For audiences, understanding these physical costs adds appreciation for what they’re watching. When you know an actor genuinely pushed themselves to physical and vocal limits rather than relying on camera tricks and post-production magic, the scenes land differently. There’s an authenticity to genuine exertion that cameras pick up, even if viewers can’t articulate exactly what they’re seeing.
Dhurandhar’s Success on Netflix: Why the Film Is Trending on OTT
Dhurandhar’s strong performance on Netflix reflects both the star power of Ranveer Singh and the quality of Aditya Dhar’s execution. The film joins Ranveer’s other hits available on OTTplay Premium—including ’83, Simmba, and Kill Dil—giving subscribers access to a comprehensive library of his work spanning different genres and tones. For viewers who enjoyed his previous action roles, Dhurandhar offers evolution rather than repetition.
Trending algorithms on streaming platforms reward both immediate viewership and sustained engagement. Dhurandhar appears to be achieving both—strong initial viewing numbers as Ranveer Singh fans and action enthusiasts seek it out, plus repeat viewings and word-of-mouth recommendations that keep it climbing trending charts days after release. The Sholay comparisons circulating on social media contribute to this momentum, positioning the film as culturally significant rather than just another action release.
The timing of Dhurandhar’s OTT release also matters. Early February typically sees audiences looking for fresh content after the holiday season’s major theatrical releases have completed their runs. A well-executed action drama with strong performances and word-of-mouth buzz fills that demand perfectly, especially when it’s available on Netflix where it reaches the platform’s massive subscriber base without additional rental or purchase costs.
Sara Arjun’s Breakout and the Supporting Cast That Elevates Dhurandhar
Strong supporting performances in action films often make the difference between forgettable entertainment and movies that audiences remember and revisit. When characters beyond the lead heroes feel fully realized with their own arcs, motivations, and emotional beats, the stakes of action sequences increase because viewers are invested in multiple characters’ fates rather than just waiting for the star to prevail.
This ensemble approach aligns with the Sholay comparison—that film succeeded partly because audiences cared about Thakur, Basanti, and even supporting characters like the Imam, not just Jai and Veeru. If Dhurandhar has achieved similar ensemble strength, it explains the emotional resonance viewers are reporting alongside their appreciation for the action choreography and technical execution.
The choice to give supporting characters like Donga substantial screen time and meaningful arcs rather than reducing them to plot devices shows confidence in the story and respect for the audience. Viewers can tell when supporting characters exist only to make the hero look good versus when they’re genuine characters who could carry their own storylines. Kaushik’s extensive preparation and the production’s investment in authenticity for his role suggests the latter approach.
What Dhurandhar Means for Aditya Dhar’s Directorial Career
The Sholay comparisons, if sustained beyond opening weekend buzz, position Dhurandhar as a career-defining film that could influence action cinema the way Dhar’s previous work influenced its respective genres. Directors who create films that other filmmakers study and reference have achieved a level of impact beyond commercial success alone—they’ve contributed to the grammar of cinema itself.
For future projects, Dhar’s proven ability to extract committed performances from his cast—evidenced by Kaushik’s willingness to undergo weight training, vocal strain, and extensive preparation for a supporting role—will make him an attractive collaborator for actors looking to push themselves. Directors who create environments where actors can do their best work develop reputations that attract top talent and give them latitude to pursue ambitious projects.
