Saumya Tandon says she slapped Akshaye Khanna for real as she drops BTS pictures from ‘Dhurandhar’: ‘Aditya insisted it had to be authentic’ |

‘Dhurandhar’ has been the talk of the country ever since it arrived in cinemas on December 5. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the high-octane spy thriller features Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan and Akshaye Khanna in key roles. Television star Saumya Tandon, who essays the role of Akshaye Khanna’s wife in the film, has earned widespread appreciation for a powerful emotional sequence that left audiences stunned.In one particularly hard-hitting scene, Saumya’s character slaps her husband following a devastating personal loss. The moment struck a chord with viewers, and Saumya later revealed that the slap seen on screen was completely real and filmed in a single take.

On Sunday, Saumya took to her X (formerly Twitter) handle to share behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot and opened up about the emotionally charged experience. The first image featured her in conversation with director Aditya Dhar and Akshaye Khanna as they discussed the scene. Along with it, she wrote, “1. This was my entry scene in the film, and the amount of love it has received has truly overwhelmed me. In this scene, I felt everything at once- anger towards my husband for being the reason behind our son’s death, helpless desperation, and the deep, shared pain between us. And yes, I slapped Akshay once-for real- during his close-up, after Aditya insisted it had to be authentic. I was hoping to cheat, but no such luck. My breakdown close-up was done in a single take.”The second picture showed Saumya seated on the floor during a prayer meeting sequence. Describing the emotional weight of the moment, she wrote, “2. This was the prayer meeting after my son’s demise. The pain I felt in that moment stayed with me-it came straight from the heart.”‘Dhurandhar’ revolves around the story of Hamza, an Indian spy who infiltrates deep into Pakistan to become a part of Rehman Dakait’s gang. The cast also includes Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi in significant roles. The second instalment of ‘Dhurandhar’ is slated for a theatrical release on March 19, 2026.