On Saturday, July 27, Jio Studios and B62 Studios announced that the next project from Aditya Dhar, the director of Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), will feature a star-studded cast including Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal. The announcement was accompanied by a black-and-white photograph of the five actors and Aditya Dhar, which quickly became a topic of discussion. The film commenced production on July 25.

Although the press release did not disclose details about the film's plot, reports suggest it is a period-action thriller set against the geopolitical backdrop of India and Pakistan. Speculation arose that Ranveer Singh might portray Ajit Doval, India's current National Security Advisor, in his younger days. However, Bollywood Hungama has learned that R Madhavan will be playing a character inspired by Ajit Doval.

A source told Bollywood Hungama, “R Madhavan is taking on the coveted part. He will sport a cool, different look in the film, which has him excited. As always, he’s fully committed to the role. The makers are confident that his performance will be something to watch out for.” The source did not confirm whether Madhavan’s character would be named Ajit Doval or merely inspired by him. Details about Ranveer Singh’s character remain undisclosed.

Interestingly, this will be Aditya Dhar’s second film to feature a character based on Ajit Doval. In Uri: The Surgical Strike, Paresh Rawal played Govind Bhardwaj, a character inspired by Doval.

Contrary to popular belief, the new film is not titled Dhurandhar. Currently, it remains untitled. It is being produced by Jyoti Deshpande from Jio Studios, along with Lokesh Dhar and Aditya Dhar under their banner B62 Studios.