Saumya Tandon actually slapped Akshaye Khanna in 'Dhurandhar'—here's why
Saumya Tandon just shared that during a key scene in Aditya Dhar's spy thriller Dhurandhar, she really did slap Akshaye Khanna.
She explained, "In his close-up, I really slapped him," since the director wanted it to look authentic and fake slaps weren't working on camera.
What led to the real slap?
The moment happens when Tandon's character, Ulfat, confronts her husband (played by Khanna) after their son dies in gang violence.
The scene is packed with emotion—Ulfat slaps him for not protecting their child and then they share a silent hug.
Tandon said she ended up giving a real slap to get the shot right.
Capturing raw emotion on set
Tandon's emotional breakdown during this sequence was all caught in one powerful take, which the director kept for its intensity.
Dhurandhar, released December 5, 2025, dives into themes of love against an espionage backdrop.