Actor Faiz Mohammed Khan, who played the role of Sajid Mir in both Dhurandhar (2025) and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026), has a double reason to celebrate: his performance on screen and his work behind it as the film’s dialect coach .
After 14 years in the industry, the National School of Drama (NSD) alumnus calls the film “a history in the making.” He was brought on board by casting director Mukesh Chhabra. “After a while one day Mukesh ji asked, ‘Faiz, kya tum dialect par bhi kaam karoge? You are well-versed with Urdu.’ So that’s how my dialect coaching began,” Faiz recalls .
Not ‘khalis’ Urdu, but ‘asli Pakistani’ lingo
The actor-turned-coach revealed that filmmaker Aditya Dhar was very specific about the language used in the spy thriller. The goal was never to use pure or difficult Urdu, but rather a more accessible, natural tone.
“It was never khalis (pure) or difficult Urdu, but rather ‘asli Pakistani’ lingo that felt like ‘hamare beech ki language’ (a language spoken among us),” Faiz explains .
He noted that the language was designed to be easily understood by a common audience everywhere, moving away from the theatrical, high-Urdu often portrayed in period dramas. The goal was authenticity, not ornamentation .
Passionate team, standout student
Faiz considers all the actors on set as his favourite students because of their dedication. “Sabko sikhne mein maza aa raha thaa because the entire team was so passionate about the narrative,” he told Hindustan Times .
However, he singled out young actress Sara Arjun, who played Yalina, as an exceptionally committed learner. He recalls her proactive attitude saying, “Sir, abhi theek aaya nahi dialogue, aur practice kare, aur acha hona chahiye” (Sir, the dialogue didn’t come out right, let’s practice more, it should be better) .
Viral dialogue and future projects
The iconic line “Darling, darling, dil kyon toda…” delivered by Gaurav Gera’s character Aalam became an instant fan favourite. Faiz revealed that both of them worked extremely hard to set the right tone for the dialogue, which contributed to its widespread appeal .
Currently, Faiz is balancing acting—with projects like Gandhi ready for release—alongside backstage work on Pankaj Tripathi’s play La Ilaaj .
Pakistani viewers praise the accuracy
The team’s deep research paid off. Following its release on Netflix, where it trended at #1 in Pakistan, the film received widespread praise from native Pakistani viewers.
A Karachi-born Reddit user noted that the film made him feel “nostalgic” and that he was “so pleasantly surprised by how accurate the Urdu and Karachi vibe is,” stating that “it almost felt like a Pakistani made it.” The user specifically commended the director’s “deep study” and added, “To me this movie didn’t feel ‘anti Pakistan’ at all […] The depth and research has to be respected and commended” .
