Riding high on the success of ‘Dhurandhar- The Revenge’, Aditya Uppal has emerged as one of the most talked-about performers from the film, thanks to his impactful portrayal of ASP Omar Haider, a Lyari Task Force officer. What begins as a seemingly understated presence gradually unfolds into a character that shifts the narrative’s course, which has earned both admiration and intense reactions from audiences.In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Uppal opens up about the overwhelming response to his performance, the viral end-credit scene that has sparked sequel speculation, working alongside Ranveer Singh, the discipline on set, and much more.
Dhurandhar 2 Movie ReviewWe saw the end credits, and it felt like a hint towards a third part or sequel. What do you have to say about that? What can we expect from your character going forward?It’s not confirmed yet, but the director plugged the scene in the right way. It’s a beautiful positioning of the scene. So, we don’t know whether he wants to switch on to something else. But, you know, this is not discussed with the team internally. Only the mastermind Aditya Dhar sir would know what’s next in this for him.
How has life changed after the success of ‘Dhurandhar’?It’s still sinking in . You know, sometimes you do things and you’re okay with it. But when you work in a film like ‘Dhurandhar’ and that gets noticed, it’s like everybody is watching it. So, the old people who never used to remember or call, now their calls are coming.And from friends, you know, that’s how it is. But it’s okay, it’s people’s love to show their way. So, it’s a very beautiful feeling. But most importantly, the best thing is that you get your own self-respect back. You get your own confidence back after doing a film like this.Because as an actor, you always want and try to do a good job that people see and appreciate your work. So, I think that’s a good thing. It has been a beautiful journey with ‘Dhurandhar’.In the beginning, your character feels small, but as the film progresses, the audience realizes his importance. What was your reaction when you first heard about the role?Initially our character was narrated, but we never got the complete script. So, we didn’t know how important this role was or not. But yes, I knew that there is a journey with Omar, and before going to the end, Omar will turn the events down. But the beautiful direction that has been shown in the second part. Initially, you might not even notice Omar. He is just like any other officer standing with Sanjay Dutt sir. But with those small scenes, the build-up that he has done, the arc that he has set, I think it is very beautiful.And the audience probably only realizes in the second half of part two that this is also a character who wants to do something. So, when the journey starts from there, there are back-to-back scenes of Omar, and Omar is catching things back-to-back.See More: ‘Dhurandhar 2’ box office collection day 19: Ranveer Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun’s film eyes Rs 1,630 cr mark worldwideHow was it sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt?It was a lifetime opportunity for me as I am huge fan of him. It was amazing. Sanjay sir and I shared a very nice rapport, and I will always cherish that. Though initially I had only a few scenes with him, we gelled very well.I got so attached to him that it was very hard for me to say goodbye on the last day. In fact, even when I was removing my uniform on the last day, it was very emotional for me. While I was also looking forward to finishing the project and moving on to the next as an actor, it was really not easy to say goodbye to this character.Audiences are reacting strongly to your character, even blaming you for disrupting the story. What has that feedback been like?So, I get messages from many people in the digital world. They say, “Why did you come? I mean, it was a good story. Hamza was with Yelina, and they were family. Everything was ruined because of you.” The character has been written very beautifully. And as they say, their beauty comes from this, because they have given small importance to every character. So, I think their style of writing is very beautiful. The last credit scene has gone viral. How does it feel to see yourself trending on social media?It’s an amazing feeling . It feels really good. First of all, I like the work, and that scene is very important in itself. Every person is tagging me about the scene—like, “Look, you are on my feed again.” The same people are saying, earlier we used to say we will meet you, but now we see you every day on our phones. So, it’s a very good feeling. But yes, the effort is that after this, what’s next? To do something next, you will have to think ten times. Because films like ‘Dhurandhar’ don’t come again and again. Everyone is saying that whatever you do next, you have to do it better. Because people will relate, like, “Oh, he is Omar. He did ‘Dhurandhar’” What will be your parameter while choosing your next projects?I am reading things, I am meeting people. I am trying to meet some of the best people in the industry. I am not in a hurry to do something in a hurry. But whatever I pick up, my effort will be that the audience understands the work and likes it. Because sometimes, as an actor, when you are picking your subject, you have to spend a lot of time with it, like I did with ‘Dhurandhar’. The journey of one and a half to two years was with him. So, it is important that whatever you pick up should be good, relevant, and not only for money, but also something where you look different or do a different character. You mentioned getting negative comments too. Any memorable reactions from audiences?A lot there are many instances where people have said, ‘Tu bahar nikal, tujhe dekhta hoon main.’ I even received threatening calls, which were quite disturbing. I had to explain to them that I am not from Pakistan and that it’s just a role I am playing. But I understand that this also reflects the love of the audience and the extent to which people have accepted the film. Look at my Instagram handle, you see a lot of negative comments hating my character.Has your perception changed after working with Ranveer Singh?I had a perception of Ranveer Singh of an actor who is full of energy and that’s true. But when here for ‘Dhurandhar’ he was completely different person. Focused and dedicated. And I think when you look at a person like him, you really learn a lot of things. He makes you feel so important. He treats you so well that he never lets you feel that he is “the man” or something else. So, I think that makes the atmosphere very good. Looking at his dedication, his scenes, his look, his work, his method, his process of acting, I think he has really devoted 2–2.5 years of his life only for this character, to make Hamza possible.Any memory from the sets that you will always cherish?I am just going to remember one memory of Aditya sir reposting something on Instagram which was my story. And he wrote a very beautiful message to me where he said, “Thank you so much for being my Omar, and I have found a great Omar in you.”I think I am going to live with that forever. Because when a director himself says something like this, you get a lot of motivation to go on set every day and work well. So, I think that’s one beautiful memory. Rest, all the memories are very beautiful. Working with all the actors is very good. But I am taking a lot from Aditya sir, honestly.
