India, Dec. 26 -- A ctor Akshaye Khanna has been enjoying a fresh wave of acclaim for his chilling turn as the ruthless Rehman Dakait in filmmaker Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. Now, the film's costume designer Smriti Chauhan has revealed that the actor was closely involved in shaping his character's appearance, and even rejected the first look that was created for him. Speaking on the YouTube show Unfolding Talents on the Digital Commentary channel, Smriti said the initial plan was to dress Akshaye entirely in pathanis. However, the actor suggested that his wardrobe should also reflect the character's street background, and proposed including kurta-and-jeans combinations. "We gave him kurta-jeans as well. It was a very important input by Akshaye sir himself, that we should not forget he is also from the streets. It made a lot of sense, because we also see his rise in the film as he progresses to join a political party," she said, adding, "So, his journey moved from distressed linens and denims to a silk-wool pathani, which is one of the most important looks in the film." Smriti recalled several rounds of trials, including embroidered pathanis, before Akshaye was satisfied. At one point, he told the team he was unsure about the direction of the look, prompting further discussions to retain a sense of ruggedness. She also spoke about the viral Fa9la sequence, where costume choices presented a visual challenge. "Initially, the idea was to put all the dancers in black. But Aditya sir pointed out that traditional Balochi attire is often white. So we dressed the dancers in white and kept Akshaye sir in all-black to make him stand out." HTC...