Director Aditya Dhar lauded the efforts by cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha in his latest directorial Dhurandhar: The Revenge and said every frame in the film breathes because of him.
Dhurandhar 2 released on March 19 and has already crossed the mark of Rs 1,500 crore at the global box office. It is a sequel to his 2025 directorial Dhurandhar.
The filmmaker shared a series of pictures alongside Vikash on his Instagram handle on Sunday and said the cinematographer was among the last to join the film.
"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 wrote.
"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 centre of it all, steady and relentless," he added.
The film featured Ranveer Singh in the lead role, alongside R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Bedi.
"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," Aditya said.
"He didn't just capture moments, he gave them life. His inputs on set were never loud, but always precise. Always truthful. Always elevating the film. There are many who shoot films. Vikash lived this one. And in doing so, he has given Dhurandhar something that cannot be manufactured, a soul. I feel immense gratitude, respect, and affection for the artist he is, and the human being he brought into this journey. This film carries his imprint forever. And I know this is only the beginning, the stories we will tell together from here on will go even further, shine even brighter, and create something truly timeless," he said.
Set in Lyari town of Karachi, an area known for its history of gang wars and violent turf battles, Dhurandhar revolved around covert intelligence operations against the backdrop of geopolitical and terror events like the Kandahar plane hijack, the 2001 Parliament Attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The sequel charts the rise of Ranveer Singh's character Hamza Ali Mazari in the Karachi underworld while also delving into his origins as Jaskirat Singh Rangi, tracing the journey of the young man who eventually transforms into the covert operative.
Produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar, the film released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.