Dhurandhar DOP Vikash Nowlakha hails Aditya Dhar for his integrity of vision: ‘Thank you for this incredible journey’

Aditya Dhar had shared a long note on Vikash Nowlakha, saying that he gave Dhurandhar its soul and carried the weight of the film on his shoulders.

Dhurandhar 2 has scripted history by becoming the first Bollywood film to cross the ₹1000 crore mark at the box office in India. This marks its entry into an elite club where only two films have made it so far - Baahubali 2 and Pushpa 2. Director Aditya Dhar penned a note on Sunday, and gave a shoutout for cinematographer Vikas Nowlakha. Now, Vikas has replied to the note and shared that the journey was possible only because of the trust placed by Aditya.

Vikas Nowlakha during the shoot of Dhurandhar, with director Aditya Dhar and Ranveer Singh.

Vikas Nowlakha replies to Aditya Dhar

Commenting on Aditya's post, Vikas wrote, “So deeply touched by this. It’s your integrity of vision, trust and the graciousness in your leadership that allow all of us - cast and crew, the freedom to bring our instincts, heart and spirit to this. You didn’t just hire technicians and actors - you embraced us all for who we were and steered us to our best selves. On behalf of the entire camera, light and grip department - thank you for this incredible journey.”

In the post, Aditya had shared, “Here’s to Vikash Nowlakha, the eye, the instinct, and the soul behind Dhurandhar. He was the last HOD to come on board Dhurandhar. Just a few days before we began. And knowing how deeply selective he is, that timing meant everything. It felt less like onboarding a cinematographer, and more like destiny quietly stepping in at the right moment.”

He added, “I still remember what he said after reading the script, “I’ve waited 30 years to do a film like this. I’ll give my life to it.” And he meant every word. What followed was not just work, it was devotion. Through impossible schedules, through chaos that often felt unmanageable, through shooting what was essentially two films in the time and cost of one Vikash stood at the center of it all, steady and relentless. Carrying the weight of the film quite literally on his shoulders, pushing through the burning heat of Amritsar and the harsh cold of Leh, he never once let the vision falter.”

“But what makes Vikash truly rare is not just his endurance, it’s the soul in his gaze. His eye for detail, his emotional intelligence behind the lens, his ability to understand not just what a scene looks like, but what it feels like, that is where his genius lies. Every frame in Dhurandhar breathes because he allowed it to,” he said.

About Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar features Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy, Hamza, who infiltrates the gangs of Lyari with a mission to dismantle the underworld as well as the terror network affecting India. The first part of the franchise created a stir at the box office, collecting ₹1,300 crore worldwide.

The second part of the spy action thriller tells the origin story of Ranveer Singh’s character, Jaskirat Singh Rangi, and explores why he transforms into the spy Hamza Ali Mazari. It also shows how Hamza rises through the ranks of Lyari’s underworld and political structure to become a kingpin while carrying out his mission to dismantle the terror network in Pakistan.