Dhurandhar BTS: How An Army Of 500 People Built Pakistan's Streets In Thailand
Dhurandhar, the upcoming spy-action drama directed by Aditya Dhar, has been making waves ever since its official teaser dropped. Featuring a powerhouse ensemble cast, Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and Akshaye Khanna, the film is reportedly set in 1970s-80s Pakistan and promises a gripping mix of bloodshed, intense action and high-voltage drama. But while the teaser has fans hooked, what went on behind the scenes to bring those massive, immersive sets to life is just as fascinating.
Recently, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Dhurandhar's production designer, Saini S Johray, opened up about recreating Pakistani lanes in Thailand for the film.
It took him nearly three months to complete the 'massive" sets for Dhurandhar. He and his crew worked on the design from March to May, recce in June, and the shooting began in July. He also claimed that his team of 12 designers worked 12 hours a day, as the film was so massive. 'I think in my career, it's one of those films that has the maximum number of locations," said Johray.
Furthermore, he explained how they recreated Pakistani streets, stating that they used newspaper cuttings, old movies and headlines to grasp the geography of the specific area in Pakistan. Then they built a 6-acre set in Thailand and a huge one on Madh Island.
Why did they choose Thailand to create the sets?
The designer shared that they couldn't shoot in Mumbai with such a huge cast, and also were unable to shoot in a studio since they required a large 6-acre location. Furthermore, the shooting dates were in July, which meant that Mumbai would be experiencing heavy monsoons, so they couldn't build a set there. Therefore, they came to Thailand, where the stunning landscape was ideal for them to create a larger-than-life set.
Around 500 Thai people worked day and night for 20 days to create the massive Bhindi Bazaar set in Thailand. Talking about the process, the designer added, 'Thai people have no idea how Bhindi Bazaar looks, therefore I had to make sure everything looked really authentic and not at all like Thailand. If you look at the teaser, you won't notice it!"
Dhurandhar is set to hit the big screens on December 5, 2025.
First Published:
July 15, 2025, 12:55 IST
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