As Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar released on Netflix last week, analysis and scrutiny of the film’s Easter eggs gathered pace. Viewers analysed everything from dialogues to even the end credits.
One such analysis on Reddit led to the claim that Ranveer Singh, the film’s lead actor, used three vanity vans during the shoot. This viral, unsubstantiated claim once again sparked discussion about entourage costs and spending by actors in major productions. However, HT verified this claim by reaching out to sources close to the production and found that much was lost in translation.
Did Ranveer Singh use three vanity fans in Dhurandhar?
The claim began after a Redditor posted a screengrab of the film’s end credits, which included three vans for Hamza (Ranveer’s character) – Hamza van, Hamza staff van, and Hamza normal van. This sparked debate about production’s excessive spending on actors.
However, a source from the production clears the air with Hindustan Times, clarifying that the word ‘van’ referred to regular cars, not vanity vans. The vans were used for the film’s Thailand shoot schedule, where such vehicles are used to ferry crew members. “These were Thai vans being referred to in the end credits from Dhurandhar’s Bangkok shoot, which had a long shooting schedule. One vanity and two cars (Thai vans) were deployed for the actor, staff, luggage, etc, to travel around the locations,” the source tells us. The Bangkok leg involved extensive outdoor shoots, multiple locations, and frequent citywide movement, making heavy transport logistics unavoidable.
Ranveer’s intense schedule required staff support
Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, its sequel, were shot together and were initially meant to be a single film, later split into two due to runtime. The source says Ranveer required his staff on set due to the intense schedule and his physical transformation.
“Even now, with the teaser, you see two characters and a drastic transformation of Ranveer. He sometimes shed 15 kgs, gained 25 kgs within months or days and shot for 12-14 hours a day. In general, with actors, sometimes for drastic body transformations, a gym or private chef or both on sets are required for the magic to happen within production timelines,” adds the source, clarifying that the actor was not given anything ‘extra’ but just what the shoot and his work required.
About Dhurandhar
In Dhurandhar, Ranveer plays Jaskirat Singh Rangi, an Indian spy who assumes the identity of a Baloch man named Hamza to infiltrate Lyari’s gangs and dismantle their ties to terror outfits. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film also starred Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal.
Ranveer is currently awaiting the release of Dhurandhar 2. The film’s teaser was released on Monday, giving a glimpse into his character’s backstory. The film releases in theatres on March 19.