New Delhi: Actor Danish Pandor’s life has taken a complete turn since Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar released in December last year. His portrayal of Uzair Baloch has quickly become a fan favourite.
What many don’t know, however, is that casting director Mukesh Chhabra auditioned nearly 600-700 actors before finalising Pandor for the role.
“I auditioned in April 2024. At that time, I didn’t even know who the director or production house was. They kept everything under wraps. I gave the audition and moved on, because that’s what you do as an actor,” Pandor, 38, told ThePrint. “Later, I found out that hundreds had auditioned.”
The success still feels unreal to him. He is still soaking it in. His Instagram is flooded with fan edits of his character to the point where people are referring to him by the character’s name.
It was only on set that director Aditya Dhar told him why he was chosen.
“He just said, ‘I liked your sincerity, honesty, and your ability to perform,’” Pandor said. “The best kind of success is when people stop seeing you as yourself and start seeing you as the character. Everything else is just a bonus.”
Addressing the “propaganda” debate around the film, Pandor said, “I think that word is used very loosely today.” However, for him, audiences are smart. “They will decide how they want to interpret it.”
He added that the team’s core intention was to stay true to “authenticity and emotional truth,” and the audience’s strong response reflects that.
At home, though, the reaction was grounded and typically “Indian parent-coded.” While his family appreciated his performance, they were quick to ask, “What next?” Pandor says he values that reality check; it keeps him from getting carried away.
A 16-year journey
Pandor’s journey to this moment hasn’t been easy. It has been a 16-year-long journey of struggle. He made his debut in television with Kitni Mohabbat Hai (2010). And, has finally got his due from the industry.
After his television stint, Pandor was determined to transition into movies. He kept auditioning for films, and even though he was getting offers from TV, he tried to avoid it. But breaking into films isn’t easy; you need to be at the right place at the right time. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Eventually, he did get a shot and worked on a film for two and a half years. But fate had other things in store for him, and the movie never got released.
“That was a huge setback. I had to start from scratch again. Because you still have to pay bills. You have to put food on the table,” he said. In 2013, he turned to modelling, often working long hours just to sustain himself while continuing auditions.
“I took on every project. Worked for long hours to accumulate money for auditions,” he said.
Years later, the struggle paid off. He eventually appeared in Sacred Games in 2017. The Netflix show was a success. Pandor played Bada Badariya in the first season. His character was a hit. So, he was hopeful that work would flow his way.
“But, there was no work for the next three years,” he added.
One of the toughest moments came when he was finalised for a film, had signed the contract, and even received the script, only to later discover, through the trailer, that he had been replaced.
“No one even informed me. But that’s part of the industry. You can’t hold on to these things. You have to move on,” Pandor said.
When asked about what kept him going, he said, “If not this, then what else? I’m deeply passionate about acting.”
Despite his recent success, Pandor remains grounded.
“In a way, this feels like a ‘made it’ moment, but as an actor, you never really make it. You just move from one project to another. The goal is to never disappoint your audience and stay true to your craft,” he said.
Dhurandhar’s success has opened a few doors for Pandor. But the projects are at too nascent stage.
Also read: Dhurandhar 2 has given new life to theatres. And it’s not just about the box office
Some favourite scenes
Talking about memorable moments from the shoot, Pandor recalled an action sequence involving gunfire in a valley with the “Flipperachi” song playing in the background.
“It was a lot of fun, there is an adrenaline rush in those moments,” he said.
On the other hand, some scenes were emotionally demanding. The hospital scene, where his character learns about Rehman Baloch’s death, was very sensitive for Pandor.
“You have to convey deep emotional turmoil without overdoing it,” he said.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)