'It was only one real slap, not seven': Saumya Tandon clears air on viral Dhurandhar scene

Actor Saumya Tandon recently clarified rumours that she repeatedly slapped co-star Akshaye Khanna during an intense scene in Dhurandhar in an Instagram story. Taking to her Instagram story. Tandon addressed the confusion directly, stating that there was only one real slap, not several as speculated.

“It was only one real slap, not seven. I never said seven,” she wrote.

The clarification comes days after Tandon spoke about filming the emotionally charged scene in interviews, where she recalled her nervousness and hesitation before performing the slap on screen. Exaggerated allegations regarding the number of takes containing the slap resulted from some social media posts and subsequent sources misinterpreting her remarks.

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What Saumya Tandon had truly stated?

In previous interviews, such as one with Mid-Day, Tandon revealed that she tried to fake the action since she was initially uneasy with the scene.Director Aditya Dhar, however, encouraged her to perform it honestly for authenticity.

“Don’t fake it, just go for it,” Dhar told her, according to Tandon.

She also said she sought Akshaye Khanna’s consent before executing the scene.

“I looked at Akshaye and asked, ‘Should I go for it?’ and he very nonchalantly said, ‘Go for it,’” she recalled.

Following the take, Tandon admitted she felt terrible about hitting Khanna but went through with it in the interest of the scene.

Saumya Tandon, who played Ulfat, the wife of Akshaye Khanna’s character Rehman Dakait, has repeatedly spoken about the professionalism and mutual respect on set. Despite limited interaction before shooting, she said their on-screen chemistry came naturally.

Responding to criticism around the film

After Dhurandhar faced criticism from some quarters for being misogynistic, Tandon publicly defended the film, drawing a distinction between male-dominated narratives and misogyny.

“In the universe Dhurandhar is set in, with the societal norms the director chose to depict, it is a male-dominated world , yet the women are treated with dignity. They aren’t beaten, objectified, or shown as one of many wives, even though that society could have allowed it. It’s important to remember we’re dealing with a very different world,” she said.

She argued that while the film depicts a patriarchal world, the women in it are treated with dignity and agency.

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About Dhurandhar

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar released on December 5 and has emerged as one of the biggest box office successes of the year, reportedly crossing ₹350 crore worldwide. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal and Saumya Tandon in key roles.

With her latest clarification, Tandon has sought to put an end to exaggerated claims around the scene, reiterating that the moment was executed once, with consent, and in service of the story.