Ranveer Singh enters Pakistan, but in Thailand: 'Dhurandhar' turns spy drama into a gritty cinematic illusion
spy thriller
Dhurandhar, actor
Ranveer Singh
appears in a never-before-seen avatar—long-haired, intense, and exuding raw, unfiltered energy. Directed by
Aditya Dhar
and featuring an ensemble cast including
R Madhavan
, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, and
Sanjay Dutt
, the film unfolds across a timeline stretching from the 1970s to the present, capturing decades of espionage, patriotism, and pain. But what truly sets this project apart is not just its narrative scale—it's the ambitious world-building behind the scenes.
From Bhindi Bazaar to Bangkok
What looks like a tense lane in Karachi or the narrow hustle of Lahore might actually be shot thousands of kilometres away—in Thailand. That's right. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Dhurandhar's production designer
Saini S. Johray
revealed how his team transformed a six-acre space in Thailand into a convincing replica of Pakistan's urban underbelly.
Johray, known for his work in The Family Man and The Night Manager, said that constructing the sets took months of planning and sleepless effort. With the Mumbai monsoons threatening production schedules, Thailand emerged as a more weather-friendly location that could host the scale and authenticity the director demanded. 'We couldn't build something this massive in Mumbai at that time of year, and studios were simply not enough,' he said.
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One Detail at a Time
This was no ordinary set design. Johray's team delved into old newspaper cuttings, vintage Pakistani films, headlines, and YouTube archives to build a visual library of the region. From the texture of walls to the shape of window grills, no detail was too small. 'Thai workers have never seen Bhindi Bazaar,' he pointed out. 'I had to make sure the streets didn't look like Thailand pretending to be Pakistan.'
What followed was a massive collaboration involving 500 workers—nearly 400 of whom were Thai—working round the clock to bring Dhar's vision to life. And it wasn't just Thailand. A second major set was built on Madh Island in Mumbai, spanning four acres and housing some of the film's most explosive
action sequences
.
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Actor, Collaborator, Perfectionist
Amid this scale, Ranveer Singh's dedication shone through. 'He took a deep interest in props and the environment. He would study everything and offer amazing inputs,' Johray noted. Even after sustaining an injury, Ranveer continued shooting. 'This is a passion project for him and Aditya. They both elevated everyone's efforts,' Johray added.
The teaser, which dropped as a birthday gift to Ranveer, is just a taste of the larger narrative and visual spectacle. According to Johray, the full extent of the explosive action and intense drama is yet to be seen. 'There's not even one percent of the action in that teaser,' he hinted.
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