Why is it shocking to see Ranveer Singh with Sara Arjun, who’s half his age, in ‘Dhurandhar’? Who is 20-year-old Sara Arjun?

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

In Bollywood, discussing the age gap between male and female leads has become a futile exercise. A few months ago, when Salman Khan’s film ‘Sikandar’ was released, he appeared alongside Rashmika Mandanna, who is less than half his age. After the film’s teaser dropped, it faced criticism for the casting choice. But Salman seemed unfazed. At the trailer launch, he joked, “If Rashmika and her father have no problem, why is everyone else bothered?”

However, this response didn’t sit well with many, and the box office fate of the film is well-known. Still, his remark made one thing clear—age gaps between leads are of no consequence in Bollywood, because here, the “hero never grows old.”

But are audiences ready to accept that?

On July 6, as Ranveer Singh’s birthday was celebrated, the 2-minute-40-second first look teaser of his new film ‘Dhurandhar’ was released. And instantly, questions about the age gap between Ranveer and the film’s lead actress Sara Arjun flooded social media.

Sara Arjun stars opposite Ranveer Singh in a leading role. While many praised Ranveer’s look and hoped for something new, some accused him and director Aditya Dhar of copying from the film ‘Animal’. However, what truly shocked netizens was the 20-year age gap between Ranveer and Sara Arjun in the film.

One user wrote, “This is disturbing…”

Not much has been revealed about the plot or the characters. In the teaser, Sara is seen dancing in a club, sitting in the backseat with Ranveer’s character, and sharing a dance moment. Still, social media users wasted no time in raising questions about the casting. Many expressed discomfort with the potential romantic pairing.

One Reddit user shared a screenshot from the teaser and wrote, “Sara Arjun was only 18 when ‘Dhurandhar’ was being filmed.” Another commented, “Even if she’s 18, she looks like she’s in mid-teens. It feels more like a father-daughter dynamic—there’s no chemistry!”

Another user wrote, “I really hope they’re not romantically linked… otherwise, ugh!” One said, “I hope this is all part of a mission plot. But then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re paired romantically. Almost every actress has had to act opposite male leads twice their age in her teens.” However, not all reactions were negative. Some netizens urged viewers to wait until the film releases before jumping to conclusions.
One wrote, “This casting seems deliberate. Until we see it, there’s no way to confirm if it’s a romantic pair. Maybe hold off criticism for now—it looks like a film made with effort.” Another added, “Let’s wait for the film to release. If it doesn’t make sense in the story, then criticize it.”
There’s merit in the concerns of socially aware audiences. Born on June 18, 2005, Sara Arjun is no stranger to the limelight. She just turned 20, which means she joined the film when she was 18.

Who is Sara Arjun?

Sara Arjun, born on June 18, 2005, is the daughter of South Indian actor Raj Arjun. She appeared in a Tamil advertisement at just 1.5 years old. By the age of six, she had already done multiple ads and a short Hindi film.
In 2010, she was cast in A.L. Vijay’s Tamil drama ‘Deiva Thirumagal’, playing the daughter of a mentally challenged father, portrayed by Vikram. The film earned both critical and commercial acclaim, and Sara’s performance was highly praised.

She went on to act in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam films. In 2014, her performance in Vijay’s ‘Saivam’ was especially appreciated. Sara also starred in Amjad Khan’s film Tomorrow alongside her father, though it never saw a theatrical release.

In 2013, she played Misha, the younger sister of the lead character in Ekta Kapoor’s Hindi supernatural film ‘Ek Thi Daayan’. She later starred in R. Sundarrajan’s Chithirail Nilachoru, though it had limited publicity. She then featured again in Vijay’s family drama ‘Saivam’ as the lead role of Tamizhselvi. Other films include ‘Ek Thi Daayan’, ‘Saivam’, and ‘Saand Ki Aankh’.

In 2022, Sara gained major attention for her role as young Nandini in Mani Ratnam’s historical epic ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, a two-part film where the adult Nandini was portrayed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film grossed over ₹800 crores worldwide, making it Sara’s most successful project to date.

As of 2022, Sara Arjun's net worth was ₹10 crores, making her the richest child artist in India. After she turned 18, that title passed on to Reem Arora.

Now, Sara Arjun appears in ‘Dhurandhar’, a spy action thriller presented by Jio Studios and produced by B62 Studios Production. It’s directed and written by Aditya Dhar, with producers Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar. The film is said to be based on true events and features Ranveer Singh as a real-life spy (whose identity hasn’t been disclosed yet). It also stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan.

Meanwhile, ‘Dhurandhar’ is expected to mark Ranveer Singh’s big comeback. He was last seen in Karan Johar’s romantic comedy ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ opposite Alia Bhatt.

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