Social media was abuzz after reports suggested that Tamannaah Bhatia was being considered for Jasmine Sandlas and Madhubanti Bagchi’s dance number Shararat from Dhurandhar. Amid the chatter, actor Krystle D’Souza has now reacted to the claims, slamming the culture of pitting women against each other.
Krystle D’souza speaks up
During an interview with Freepress Journal, Krystle shared that she feels that Tamannaah would have nailed the song too.
Krystle said, “Honestly, I mean, I did see it and I felt like she would have killed it in her own way. She would have owned it and, you know, sometimes what’s written for whoever’s written is what’ll happen. You can’t change anything like that. Approached or not approached, I’m sure she would have nailed it. Like, there’s no way that she wouldn’t kill it. And even if Ayesha was alone in the song, she would have killed it. If I was alone in the song, I would have killed it. Everyone would have done what they could do best.”
“So, I’m never going to take away from anyone who’s hardworking, who’s self-made, who has, you know, who has been consistent and is ready to, you know, put in the effort. So, I feel like she’s doing big things. She’s going to do bigger things. And this is our time and we are doing things and we are going to do bigger things. So, there’s enough sun for everyone, as I’ve always said. Everyone needs to shine like Ranveer Singh let us shine. To bring somebody up, you don’t need to bring others down. I don’t know how many times I need to say this. But just to bring another person up, please don’t tear another person apart. Because you don’t know mentally how it can affect somebody,” she added.
Shararat is a dance number in Aditya Dhar’s new film Dhurandhar, picturised on Ayesha Khan and Krystle D’Souza.
Tamannaah Bhatia’s Dhurandhar connect
Some days back, choreographer Vijay Ganguly raised eyebrows when he revealed that Tamannaah Bhatia was the original choice for Dhurandhar’s dance number Shararat. However, he later clarified that the actor was never ‘rejected’ for the song as she was never seriously in consideration for it. In conversation with Filmygyan, the song’s choreographer Vijay Ganguly said he had Tamannaah in mind for the song, but director Aditya felt two dancers would be better for the song, and they eventually went with Ayesha and Krystle.
“I genuinely enjoy conversations around cinema and the many layers that go into making a film. That said, I’ve often refrained from putting myself out there because, at times, words get selectively lifted, misquoted or sensationalised to serve headlines rather than the craft. It’s unfortunate that instead of the conversation staying on the song and the creative intent behind Shararat, the focus has shifted to comparisons between two wonderful artists, with strong and reductive terms like “rejections” being used – something that was never the spirit of what was shared,” he wrote on Instagram Stories later.
Vijay added, “To clarify: Tamannaah Bhatia was never under consideration because her star power is so significant it might have overwhelmed the specific needs of this scene. In Dhurandhar, the music is woven into a high-stakes moment where the tension is key. The makers opted for two performers to keep the focus on the story’s progression. This choice was about protecting the film’s atmosphere and ensuring the narrative remains the hero of the sequence.”
Dhurandhar turns out to be a big hit
Dhurandhar, a spy thriller, stars Ranveer Singh as an Indian operative infiltrating the gangs in Pakistan’s Lyari, and dismantling their links to terrorists. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, is based on true events. Dhurandhar also stars Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sanjay Dutt. Dhurandhar has been working well at the box office, minting over ₹1222 crore worldwide. Its sequel is slated to release in March 2026.