New Delhi, Filmmaker Aditya Dhar has lauded the efforts of cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha in his latest directorial 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', saying every frame in the film breathes because of him.
The film, which released on March 19, has already crossed the mark of ₹1500 crore at the global box office.
Dhar shared a series of pictures alongside Nowlakha on his Instagram handle, saying the cinematographer was among the last to join the film.
He wrote, '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.'
'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,' Dhar 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.'
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.