Where is politics? Danish Pandor hits back amid Dhurandhar 2 promotional debate
Amid the growing debate over Dhurandhar 2, actor Danish Pandor has hit out at the film’s “politics” and audience criticism. The actor, who played Uzair Baloch, talked about the film’s deeply moving, viral scenes and how he believes it was “just storytelling”.
As a conversation around the “politics” of Dhurandhar: Revenge Actor Danish Pandor, who plays gangster Uzair Baloch in Speak Out Loud, offers a grounded, almost disarming answer: For him, the film is only the story, and everything else is interpretation.
“Where is politics involved in this?” he asks clearly. In an exclusive interview he says, “It’s a matter of storytelling. Once the film is released, it’s the audience’s. They can interpret it however they feel.” India Today.
❮❯
Pandor’s reaction comes at a time when Aditya Dhar’s film is not only dominating the box office but also sparking debate from its violence to its subtext. But amidst all that noise, Pandor remains immersed in the experience of creation and performance.
Part 2 is more intense, more quick
Reflecting on the film’s reception, Pandor says the response has been overwhelming, even surreal, but also completely different from the first part. “I think it’s just got exaggerated and intensified from the first one,” he says, adding, “Part one was about character establishment – understanding where Hamza comes from, how the Baloch brothers run the business. Part two is about revenge. It’s more intense.”
He believes that this change is why the audience response has been so intense. He says, “It feels surreal. You expect these things to happen, but when they actually happen, it’s a completely different feeling.”
The scene everyone’s talking about
(No spoilers ahead, don’t stop reading here)
One of the film’s most popular moments – the brutal murder sequence (football) involving his character – was something Pandor knew he would be different from the beginning. He recalls, “I was very excited, very thrilled.” He says, “We have never experienced such a scene before in Indian cinema.”
But the excitement came with pressure. He says, “It was a big responsibility. I didn’t want to disappoint the director, especially with such an intense and important scene.” Interestingly, this sequence arrived even before their shooting schedule. He says, “You won’t believe – it was my third day of shooting. I was still working and suddenly I was doing one of the most important scenes.”
To prepare, he paid great attention to ground work. “I was doing homework beforehand for all my scenes – understanding the character, working on the dialect, studying research material. With scenes like this, it’s a thin line. It can go over the top or fail. The main thing is that people should connect with the emotional burden.”
The shoot itself was physically demanding. He says, “We didn’t shoot it in one go. There were multiple takes, different camera angles. You have to be in the zone the whole day.” He further added, “My thumb also got injured during the scene. I didn’t realize it at that moment and then I saw the real blood. That was scary.”
On criticism: it’s very subjective
While a section of audiences and commentators have criticized the film, Pandor asserted that the response from the larger audience has been overwhelmingly positive. He says, “Nobody I have met has criticized the film at all. But even if they do, that is their right.” He further added, “Cinema is subjective. One person’s perspective doesn’t mean everyone will feel the same way.”
he adds it there is an ongoing debateIn fact, a sign of engagement. “When people are talking about a movie, it’s important. It sparks conversation,” he says.
And for that, the final metric is simple: repeat value. He added, “I haven’t met a single person who has watched it just once. People are watching it multiple times – that says something.”
On Aditya Dhar’s politics
However, the big question is Dhurandhar 2 A political film? Pandor doesn’t think so. “It’s not about pushing an agenda,” he says, “it’s about portraying a story with emotional truth. People can interpret it differently, but it’s not coming from the director’s intention.”
Even when pressed on the idea that all art is inherently political, he returns to the same belief. He said, “It’s open to interpretation. But we’re not making a film with a political agenda.”
As for how Dhar himself might be reacting to these conversations, Pandor can only speculate — but he suspects the filmmaker is upset. “I don’t think it will affect him in any way. If anything, he will be extremely happy,” he says. stalwart And after this.”
“Don’t be surprised”
The actor is also clear about one thing: it was important to preserve the twists of the film. “I didn’t even tell my family or friends about the film for one and a half years,” he reveals. “The moment you reveal things, the element of surprise goes away. And that defeats its purpose.” beautifully written script,” He said.
Even on the set, not everyone knew everything. “Only certain people knew about certain things. There should be that level of secrecy,” he said.
looking ahead
With the film’s success attracting attention, Pandor admits that offers have started coming in, but he is cautious. “Now it’s a responsibility,” he says. “People have shown a lot of love, so I have to choose carefully. I just want to do impactful roles, characters that stay with the audience.”
He is not chasing stardom as much as substance. “Of course, I would love to headline projects. But more than that, I want roles that push my limits as an actor.”
Amidst the noise of box office numbers, debates and viral moments, Pandor’s approach seems almost old school: a belief in story, performance and the audience’s right to interpret. Or, as he simply puts it, “Once the film is released, it is no longer ours. It belongs to the audience.”