Delhi:In Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, Pratik played Shahbaz, Shirani Baloch's nephew. Pratik talked about his experience working on the movie in an exclusive interview with . He gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the intense shoot and his first meeting with Sanjay Dutt, who played Pakistani police officer Chaudhry Aslam Khan in the movie. He said that after filming the violent scene, the actor gave them jalebis.
Pratik, an actor in Dhurandhar, remembers his first day on set.
The actor said that on his first day on set, he filmed one of the most violent scenes right away: the one where Sanjay Dutt's character kills him in a fight. He said, "That was my first day of shooting," and he went on to say that the scene was filmed in Amritsar during the film's first schedule.
He said that a lot of the cast didn't know what the movie was about while they were filming it. "We still didn't know." He said, "We had no idea what the movie was about or what was going on before the first part came out." He added that they didn't fully understand the story until after the movie came out.
Pratik thought director Aditya Dhar's vision was great. He said, "Amazing story, amazing build-up, amazing writing," pointing out how the movie told its story in a different way. He also said that Dhurandhar depends more on pictures than on words. "It's a very loud movie, but there aren't many lines. It's more about the visuals and the eyes," he said.
Here is Pratik's exclusive interview withFirst day, first scene: filming a brutal death in the freezing cold
When asked how he got the part, the actor said he got the call while working on a pitch deck in December 2024. It was December, and I was working on a pitch deck. He said, "I was like, how do I even ask for leave?" The first schedule he had was in Amritsar on December 17.
There were problems with the shoot itself, especially the harsh winter. "It was so cold, like 3 to 4 degrees. He remembered saying, "I can't handle that kind of cold," and that he had to put on more clothes right away after landing. The actor also talked about how he had to wear prosthetics for his part. "I had cuts and bruises on my neck and hands, like I had been beaten up," he said, adding that he still didn't know much about the scene until he got to the set.
Once they were briefed, the direction was clear and strong. He remembered being told, "You know you're going to die... the person who kills you won't feel bad about it... so do your best to stay alive."
Pratik talks about filming a scene with Sanjay Dutt.
One of the things he remembers most is the first time he shared the screen with Sanjay Dutt. "It was the first time I met him... I was just trying to take in everything he was doing," he said. He said that even when things were really intense, he had a hard time keeping a straight face. "Even in that intense scene, I just wanted to laugh because it all felt so fake." He said, "It's a way for me to deal with things."
He said that Dutt had "that rage in his eyes" when he was on screen, but he was quick to say that the veteran actor was kind and generous off screen. "He's one of the nicest people I've ever met off camera."
He also talked about a funny moment that happened on set. People in Amritsar know about Gurdas Ram's jalebis... "[Sanju] Baba gave us jalebis himself and said he liked working with us," he said.
The actor thought about the whole experience and praised how real the performances and casting were. "You forget that you're watching Sanjay Dutt." He said, "You feel like you're watching the character."
The movie, which has become a big hit, is still getting praise for its "peak detailing" and acting.
Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar films, as a franchise, have crossed Rs 3000 crore globally.
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