Actor Aditya Uppal may have entered Dhurandhar as a relatively fresh face, but his portrayal of ASP Omar Haider has firmly placed him on the radar. With the gripping narrative of Dhurandhar and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Uppal’s performance has steadily grown in intensity, ultimately emerging as one of the most compelling arcs in the duology. His nuanced depiction of a conflicted yet determined officer stands out—not just for its authenticity but also for the sheer preparation that went into it.
Stepping into the shoes of ASP Omar Haider, a key member of the Lyari Task Force, was anything but easy. Uppal invested significant time and effort in understanding the psyche and physicality of his character. Talking about how he landed the role, he shared, “Mukesh Chhabra sir reached out to me for the character of Omar Haider in Dhurandhar. He told me that the look matches really well and I should go for it. I did some auditions and then I was finally selected.”
Once onboard, Uppal immersed himself deeply into research to bring authenticity to his performance. “I did go through a lot of YouTube content and the material given by the editorial team. I tried to understand the characters’ views, mannerisms, and backgrounds and the way they talk. He is a writer, and I tried to understand the arc of the personality. There were some scenes that needed special preparation, especially scenes where I had a gun in my hand, so I had to go through gun training,” he added.
A significant highlight of Uppal’s journey on the film was sharing screen space with veteran actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays SP Chaudhary Aslam. For Uppal, it was nothing short of a dream come true. “I had a lovely experience working with Sanjay Dutt, sir. My first interaction was with him, where I told him I was his big fan and loved his films Saajan and Khalnayak.”
He further expressed admiration for Dutt’s craft, saying, “Working with him was a delightful experience and a dream come true, and I was extremely facilitated by his personality and dialogue delivery. Certain words in the film were situational, and he delivered them so well that they made it feel so real.”
Equally instrumental in shaping Uppal’s performance was director Aditya Dhar, whom he credits as a mentor. “He has taught me nuances of acting and filmmaking and how an actor needs to understand his shots and how everything needs to be done. He makes sure that the actors are comfortable. He is a man who is taking us to the cinema, which we see internationally,” Uppal said.
Reflecting on the experience, he added, “This I would say was like a paid two years of training school. I am sure good work will come my way, and I would love to take it up and do workshops and further train myself and make sure my audiences are well entertained. Overall he is a great mentor and a guide.”
Beyond Dhurandhar, Uppal’s journey has been diverse. From theatre to films, he has consistently explored different creative avenues. His filmography includes projects like Omerta and Break Ke Baad, and his roots in performance trace back to school and college theatre. “Even in college I joined a theater group, and we used to do a lot of street skits on climate awareness. They were basically spoofs of Bollywood films, and we converted them into meaningful cinema so that the right message is conveyed,” he shared.
He also recalled his stint at the Kingdom of Dreams and how it opened new doors. “Then I went to Kingdom of Dreams, which was a great journey, and while working there, I got an opportunity to work on a film called Omerta, directed by Hansal Mehta, starring Rajkummar Rao. I played a small cameo, a terrorist called Abu,” he added.
Looking ahead, Uppal is keen on exploring varied roles that break stereotypes. “I want to approach those roles with new nuances and show something new to my audiences and not just stereotypical types of roles. I would love to explore humor, comedy, and action. Looking forward to having some great collaborations with the Bollywood film industry,” Aditya ended.
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