‘Tamannaah Bhatia was never under consideration,’ says ‘Dhurandhar’ choreographer Vijay Ganguly as he clarifies his quote about Aditya Dhar rejecting the actress for the ‘Shararat’ song |

Dhurandhar’ is the talk of the town ever since the film released and there are many reasons for it. While some have called it a ‘propaganda’ film, there are many who cannot stop gushing over it. The internet is flooded with scenes from the film going viral and the songs are already a hit. Amidst this euphoria around the film, recently, choreographer Vijay Ganguly‘s comments regarding the song ‘Shararat’ went viral. Ganguly choreographed this song which featured Ayesha Khan and Krystle D’souza. The choreographer, who has given us many hit songs in recent times, including ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ featuring Tamannaah Bhatia, said in an interview that director Aditya Dhar did not want her in the ‘Shararat’ song because having a big star like her, would take away the attention from the story. Vijay had said during a chat with Filmy Gyan, “In my head there was Tamannaah. I had suggested her, but Aditya was very clear that he did not want what people call an item song, something that went out of the story. If it were just about one girl, it would have taken attention away from the story. That’s why there are two girls, not one. He didn’t want the attention to be about this one person. If it were Tamannaah, it would’ve been about her and not the story.” He also added, “Jo ho raha tha film mein, there was a lot going on, and if you go away from the story, then the song is just a cut-to song.”However, many assumed that Aditya rejected Tamannaah for it and this went viral on the internet. Now Vijay has taken to his social media and clarified on the same. He said, “To clarify: Tamannaah Bhatia was never under consideration because her star power is so significant it might have overwhelmed the specific needs of this scene. In Dhurandhar, the music is woven into a high-stakes moment where the tension is key. The makers opted for two performers to keep the focus on the story’s progression. This choice was about protecting the film’s atmosphere and ensuring the narrative remains the hero of the sequence.”Reflecting on how his comments were picked up and framed, Vijay added, “I genuinely enjoy conversations around cinema and the many layers that go into making a film. That said, I have often refrained from putting myself out there because, at times, words get selectively lifted, misquoted or sensationalised to serve headlines rather than the craft.”He also expressed regret over how the discussion shifted away from the creative process. “It’s unfortunate that instead of the conversation staying on the song and the creative intent behind Shararat, the focus has shifted to comparisons between two wonderful artists, with strong and reductive terms like ‘rejections’ being used—something that was never the spirit of what was shared.”Vijay concluded by underscoring the essence of filmmaking as a collective effort. “Cinema is collaborative. It thrives on respect, nuance and context. I hope we can keep the spotlight where it belongs—on the work and the many people who pour their hearts into it,” he said. ‘Dhurandhar’ stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, among others.