Politician during day, spy by night

Dhaakad director Ghai recounts how Kangana trained in Krav Maga and Jujutsu for the actioner while shooting for Thalaivii in Hyderabad

Director Razneesh ‘Razy’ Ghai wants to give Bollywood a powerful female action hero with Dhaakad. If the teaser is any indication, he has put together a slick film that sees Kangana Ranaut in a no-holds-barred action avatar as Agent Agni. From wielding guns to gouging the enemy’s eye out, there is little that the actor hasn’t done as a fierce on-screen spy.

Razneesh Ghai

Months of intense preparation went into making Ranaut action-ready. For the film, she had to train in Krav Maga and Jujutsu, juggling the prep with the Thalaivii (2021) shoot. A source reveals, “Kangana was trained extensively to pull off the part of a lethal agent. In 2020, international stunt choreographers, including Cameron Hilts, Jason Ng and Stuart Williamson, taught her Krav Maga and Jujutsu over two months. Krav Maga, a form of self-defense that has its roots in the Israeli Army, focuses on contact combat, while the Japanese form of martial arts focuses on landing impactful blows and rendering the opponent defenseless. Kangana not only picked up the basics of these self-defense forms, but also performed all the stunts by herself. She decided to do away with body doubles since the film has many combat scenes.” 

Ghai remembers being impressed by his leading lady’s dedication towards her craft. Recounting her gruelling training, he says, “We flew down to Hyderabad with the action choreographers and trainers. After she would finish her Thalaivii shoot [every day], we used to start the prep for Dhaakad. Kangana is focused, and when it comes to work, she never allows herself to get tired. I was amazed at her hard work and ability to pack up from a film’s set and jump into the prep for another, all in the course of the same day.” The multi-lingual — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam — also stars Arjun Rampal.

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