Filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar has turned out to be a historic success at the box office. The film has literally taken the nation by storm. It has also helped actor Danish Pandor gain recognition in the role of Uzair Baloch. Today is a double celebration for him as it’s also his birthday. Danish spoke about his Dhurandhar experience and more in an interview with us.
Dhurandhar actor Danish Pandor on playing Uzair Baloch, “Success of Dhurandhar has changed everything, so it is a special birthday”; also shares why it was a ‘make-or-break’ situation for him while shooting
Danish, this is your most special year and birthday. How are you bringing in your special day?
Yes, the success of Dhurandhar has changed everything. So it is a special birthday. For me, spending the day with my family is the best way to celebrate, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Ideally, I’d have liked to be working on this day. Last year, I was shooting for Dhurandhar on my birthday.
How did you get the pivotal part of Uzair Baloch in Dhurandhar?
I am extremely grateful to (casting director) Mukesh Chhabra, Mukesh Bhai, who actually took my audition for this part and forwarded it to Aditya sir and then I’m extremely grateful to Aditya sir for believing in me and giving me the space to perform for this beautiful role. It is very important that your director and your casting director trusts you.
Your role made a huge impact
It’s the amalgamation of a lot of things. When I was shooting, it was like a make-or-break situation, you know trying to give your best shot as if it’s your last performance. I always believed in that and even in this I always used to keep myself in that zone. That I have to give my best shot and I shouldn’t disappoint my director and the people around, especially the director because he has trusted in me.
How are you dealing with the sudden surge of success?
I’m feeling very blessed. I’m extremely grateful to the people who are showering so much of love and affection to the movie and my performance as well. I am just taking it as it comes. It’s like, you know like the fruits of hard work. I mean being in the film industry, just trying to make a mark since fifteen years and one and a half years of journey for this beautiful project. Sir, it feels surreal to be really honest. I don’t forget the fact that this is one steppingstone.
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Do you remember the moment when you got the role?
Last year April 2024 I was called for the audition from Mukesh Chhabra’s office (from) one of his casting associates Pankaj. He told me that we have to audition you for one of the parts and as an actor, I was extremely curious what part it was. So, they said that we can’t disclose anything at this point of time. The very next day, I went and gave the audition and then came back home. I didn’t hear anything from them. And then after a month, I got a call from Mukesh Bhai and he told me to send me the pictures ASAP. Maybe, he was sitting with Aditya sir at that point of time and showing my audition tape to him. I sent my pictures ASAP.
The very same night I received a call from Mukesh Bhai saying that you’ve been creatively locked for the project. And the next day I got to know that Aditya sir is directing the film and that was like an absolute treat for me. And then I got to know about the star cast, which is humongous and such amazing actors! Getting to share the screen space with such fine actors like Akshay Khanna, Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi It was phenomenal.
But to be given such an opportunity seems godsend
I agree, sir. Getting such a big opportunity was the biggest thing for me, you know, and you know initially what happens is… I mean that you don’t choose the script, script chooses you. When I met Aditya sir for the first time in his office, he narrated briefly about my character and the movie as well. Not too much because we had like a proper narration later where all the primary cast was present. So at that point of time, Aditya sir told me that you are playing Uzair Baloch’s part and he’s a real-life character. And then he gave me some research material. He told me to go to his interviews and some of his articles as well. So I had to do a lot of homework.
You also had a dialect coach?
Yes, we had the dialect coach in place. Faiz Mohammad Khan was taking a workshop for dialect as in you know Pakistani dialect is a little different as compared to Indian Urdu. I mean, they have a mix of Punjabi and Urdu. I used to speak throughout the day. And then we had workshops which was taken by the Aditya sir himself. So, he used to guide us. He clearly told us just keep it matter-of-fact, keep it conversational. It shouldn’t be looking like a dialogue. Then we had martial art classes as well. And then we ammunition classes.
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What was that?
I mean, like how to fire how to load and everything. Aditya sir likes to get every actor to get the whole feel. You know, he subconsciously puts you in your character’s head. He wants the actor to be well-versed for everything. So, that was an amazing experience because simultaneously we were learning so many things. Aditya sir has given a lot of space to perform.
Did Aditya give you the freedom to improvise?
He had given me the liberty to perform. At the same time, he told me that whenever you’re feeling zoned out he said, ‘You know, you have to be in the same zone to get used to it or sometimes it gets pernicious. So I’ll tell you what exactly is needed to be done in this specific scene.’ Otherwise he just told me, ‘Be your own self, just go with the flow, you have worked on the character and now it’s your playground, just play with it.’
Most of your scenes were with Akshaye Khanna and Ranveer Singh. How did you hold your own?
Yes, as you rightly said, most of my scenes are with Akshaye sir and Ranveer bhai. You get an opportunity to prove yourself. Obviously, in the beginning there is nervousness or palpitations, like how will it go? The most anxiety is that you don’t want to disappoint your co-actors, your director. But I was so confident that if I do my homework well, that if I am fully aware of the things, I’ll be able to do it.
On the top of that, when your actors are so secure and so selfless, and everyone is collaborating in building the scene up, you know it is your responsibility to live up to expectations. Akshaye sir and Ranveer bhai are such selfless secure actors. They are such beautiful actors. Their focus is on how to make the scene better. They do so much brainstorming, they improvise. And an actor always craves for a good opportunity and an amazing character to work on, right?
Right….What next?
There are a couple of things lined up Inshallah, in the future.
Also Read: Dhurandhar choreographer opens up on replacing Tamannaah Bhatia with Ayesha Khan and Krystle D’Souza in Shararat: “It would’ve been about her, not the film”
More Pages: Dhurandhar Box Office Collection , Dhurandhar Movie ReviewTags : Aditya Dhar, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, B62 Studios, Danish Pandor, Dhurandhar, Features, Jio Studios, Jyoti Deshpande, R Madhavan, Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, Uzair Baloch
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