From IT to the silver screen, Vikram Bhambri’s foray into cinema with ‘Dhurandhar’ unfolds a story of self-discovery that begins with a moment of doubt, only to rise with an unexpected compliment from a delivery man. He fondly remembers the camaraderie shared with co-stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna, noting their genuine kindness and dedication to the craft.
In an industry where vision often defines success, Vikram Bhambri’s journey is a quiet but powerful reminder that recognition can come in unexpected ways. An IT professional who used to balance boardrooms and film sets, Vikram Bhambri entered the world of cinema with Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’, starring an energetic Ranveer Singh in the lead role as Hamza Ali Mazari aka Jaskirat Singh Ranji, who portrays Shakeel.
Although his screen time may have been limited, his experience was by no means small, marked by moments of self-doubt, silent triumphs, and an unexpected encounter that changed everything. In a candid conversation with ETimes, Vikram shared his experience of dealing with success, his first day on set, his relationship with Ranveer Singh, and much more.Durandhar 2 movie reviewHow is life treating you after the success of ‘Dhurandhar’?After the success of ‘Dhurandhar’, it is amazing and still sinks in my mind. At the time of testing, they told me that this is Aditya Dhar sir’s project. Obviously they didn’t tell me the name. They just said the cast was too big and they were shortlisting me for a character. So, I submitted the test. Then, since I had little IT savvy, I started researching. I found out that Aditya Dhar sir is doing a mega project with a star cast like Sanjay Dutt, Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal…all these names. No one from the cast gave me any information, but when I found out, I was so happy inside.
However, I kept this happiness to myself and thought: “I have auditioned; now let the result come.” Then in September and October, the result came back that I passed with great success. It was that moment when I was in the office, and even though people say you scream with happiness, I couldn’t do it.
I had to keep him inside. I called my parents and shared my happiness with them. It was a very special feeling.
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When did you realize that your role as Shakeel, although small, was influential?When we were shortlisted, they told us that my character’s name is Shakeel Commando.
At the time, I felt it sounded like a terrorist-type name. But then I thought to myself, at least I have a name, I’m not an extra. In theater, we learn that if your character has a name, it means you have an important role. Later, when we started working, we were told that we were members of a gang; We are with Ranveer. It felt really good. But when the movie came out, I didn’t see the same presence and clarity that we portrayed.
When I watched the first part with my father, I felt very sad. Every actor wants to be seen, so I felt unsettled for a few days as many of the scenes we shot were cut, probably for unavoidable reasons.
But that was very disappointing to me. My parents kept telling me to be thankful, but the heart doesn’t always listen. Then something happened; On the second day, the delivery person came and said: “Sir, I saw you yesterday… You are in Dhurandar, right?” That moment changed everything. I became the happiest person. After that, I didn’t think about my scenes being cut. I was just happy to be associated with such a big project.
There are 100 things to be grateful for, and I enjoy success.How was your experience working with Ranveer Singh and such a big star?Oh, the experience was beautiful, very beautiful. On the first day, I was standing in front of the heroes like Akshay sir and Ranveer bhai, and I was speechless. I didn’t even know how to say hello. For the first two days, I didn’t react. I had scenes with Akshay sir, but I couldn’t even say hello! For him, he was always quiet and kept to himself while filming.
But after completing the scenes, Akshay bhai smiled at me; That was when I shook his hand.
After that, we became very friendly. He is Punjabi, I am Punjabi, so we spoke in Punjabi and talked about Amritsar and many other topics. He is a very beautiful person. What should I say about Ranveer Singh? His aura is so strong that it makes you feel afraid, and makes you think, Will I be able to match his energy? But one incident changed everything. A photographer was taking BTS photos of him, and he called me, “Vikram, sir, come and take pictures with me.” He addressed me as “sir”! This broke all hesitation. After that, I started calling him Ranveer Bhai. He was a gem of a person. On my birthday, he sent a bouquet of flowers to my house with a beautiful note. I am very grateful for that. He even responded to me on Instagram once, even though I’m a private person, and he made time for me. How could I not love him?
Have you received any advice from your co-stars?I don’t think there was direct advice. Everyone was at such a level that their energy matched. But the appreciation was definitely there. I remember one scene in Part 2, where I had to deliver a dialogue cue in a noisy foundry. I spoke loudly, and after cutting, Ranveer bhai came to me and said, “Your voice is very good.” This means a lot. He is very much appreciated and a true gentleman and very meticulous in his work.The movie is very intense. What was the atmosphere like on set?No one worked under pressure. There were a few intense moments. For example, I heard about a scene involving the 11/26 recordings, which was about 45-46 minutes long. I’m sure that was very emotionally heavy for those involved. But other than that, I didn’t feel an intense atmosphere. Even when I wasn’t filming, I would go to the set because that’s my happy place. And of course, during the takes, everyone was in tune with the tone of the film.
It’s not a comedy, so the actors’ performances were in serious, character-driven territory.What about “Durandar 3”? Would you like to explore more of Shakeel?Whatever Aditya Sir wants me to explore, it’s his baby; He knows best. But according to the news, he is not keen on doing the third part. Even if there are loose ends, sometimes stories are left open for the audience to decide. I think he kept it that way. Comfort, who knows?I balanced a corporate job with acting. How was that trip?It was a very beautiful journey that took a year and a half. I still work in the corporate space, so managing both is a bit boring. I used to carry my laptop in the office to shoot locations and attend calls and meetings whenever I had time. Interestingly, very few people on the sets knew about my corporate job, and no one in my office knew about my Bollywood project. Now, after the movie, the seniors feel proud. They tell people that one of their employees works in Durandar.
“For me, this is like an Oscar or any other moment to get that kind of respect.
