The actress, who is currently receiving praise for her performance in 'Dacoit', did not hold back in detailing why her experience on the set of the 2025 comedy was far from what she expected.
The "Senior Actor" Casting Shock
The most striking revelation from the interview was Mrunal’s lack of awareness regarding her on-screen pairing:
The Surprise Husband: Mrunal revealed she was unaware that Chunky Panday (63) would be cast as her estranged husband, Danish.
The Impact: "I didn't know a very senior actor was going to play my husband... it just changes my—this is not what I expected from the movie," she confessed.
The "Trust" Factor: She admitted that this specific casting choice, given the significant age gap (30 years), caused a bit of her trust in the project to be "shaken." She noted that Chunky’s daughter, Ananya Panday, is her contemporary, making the pairing even more unexpected.
The "Cutting Room Floor" Frustration
Mrunal also voiced her grief over two "pivotal" emotional scenes that were edited out of the final 147-minute cut:
The Stepdaughter Arc: She spoke about a "beautiful scene" with Roshni Walia (who played her stepdaughter, Saba).
The Missing Narrative: In the scene, Saba tells Mrunal's character, "I pray that every girl gets a mother like you, even if you've not given birth to me." * The Sacrifice: Mrunal explained that her character selflessly gives up her personal life for Saba’s betterment, but this entire emotional narrative was "missing" from the theatrical release, leaving her character arc feeling uneven.
No Regrets, Just Learning
Despite the "hiccups," Mrunal maintained a professional and graceful stance:
No Bad Blood: She clarified that she still considers the Son of Sardaar 2 team as "family" and holds no grudges against the producers or director Vijay Kumar Arora.
The Reality Check: "It's a learning. If I knew just by reading the film that it's a ₹300 crore movie, wouldn't all actors do blockbuster movies?" she added.
The "Saiyaara" Factor: Trade analysts note that Son of Sardaar 2 (which earned ~₹66 crore) was heavily impacted by the unexpected global juggernaut of 'Saiyaara' (₹580 crore), which likely influenced the desperate "edit-table" decisions she mentioned.
Mrunal’s 2026 "Recovery" Slate
Mrunal is quickly moving past the SOS 2 disappointment with a string of high-profile projects:
Film Title Status / Release Co-star Dacoit: A Love Story In Theaters Now Adivi Sesh Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai May 22, 2026 Varun Dhawan Pooja Meri Jaan Post-Production Huma Qureshi Raaka Rumored Allu Arjun
SantaBanta Verdict:
Mrunal Thakur’s honesty is a breath of fresh air in an industry often muffled by PR-friendly statements. While Son of Sardaar 2 might have been a "failure" in her personal diary, her current success with Dacoit and the buzz for her David Dhawan collaboration proves that one "shaken" experience hasn't slowed her down.
