In an industry where visibility defines success, Vikramm Bhambri’s journey is a quiet yet powerful reminder that recognition can come in unexpected ways. An IT professional who balanced boardrooms with film sets, Vikramm Bhambri entered the world of cinema. Aditya DharStarring the energetic ‘Dhurandhar’ Ranveer Singh Hamza Ali Mazari aka Jaskirat Singh in the lead role of Rangi, portraying Shakeel. While her screen time may have been limited, her experience was small, punctuated by moments of self-doubt, quiet triumphs, and an unexpected encounter that changed everything. In a candid chat with ETimes, Vikramm shared his experience of managing the hit, his first day of shooting, his relationship with Ranveer Singh and much more.Dhurandhar 2 Movie ReviewHow is life treating you with the success of ‘Dhurandhar’?Post the success of ‘Dhurandhar’, it’s amazing and it’s still sinking in. At the time of audition, I was told that it is Mr. Aditya Dhar’s project. Of course, they didn’t tell me the name. They said that it is a very great actor and that they are casting me for a character. So I auditioned. After that, since I have a bit of an IT brain, I started researching. I came to know that Aditya Dhar sir is doing a huge project with a star actor like Sanjay Dutt, Ranveer Singh. Akshaye KhannaR. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal… all those names. No one from the casting team gave me any information, but when I figured it out, I was so happy inside. However, I kept that happiness to myself and thought, “You have auditioned; now let the result come.” Then, in September-October, the result came that I passed with flying colors. That moment happened when I was in the office, and even though people say you scream with happiness, I couldn’t do it. I had to keep it inside. I called my parents and shared my happiness with them. It was a very special feeling.
When did you realize that Shakeel’s role, though small, was influential?When we were cast, they told us that my character’s name is Shakeel Commando. At the time, it seemed like a terrorist type name. But then I told myself, at least I have a name, and I’m not an extra. In theater, if your character has a name, it means you have an important role. Then, when we started working, they told us that we belonged to the gang; We are with Ranveer. That felt so good. But when the film was released, I didn’t see the same presence and visibility as we shot it. When I watched part 1 with my parents, I felt very sad. Every actor wants visibility, so I felt uneasy for a couple of days as many of my scenes that we shot were cut, perhaps due to some unavoidable reasons. But that was very disappointing for me. My parents told me to be thankful, but the heart doesn’t always listen. Then something happened; on the second day, a delivery man came and said, “Sir, I saw you yesterday… You are in ‘Dhurandhar’, aren’t you?” That moment changed everything. I became the happiest person. After that, I didn’t think about cutting my scenes. I was happy to be associated with such a big project. There are 100 things to be thankful for, and I’m enjoying the success.How was your experience working with Ranveer Singh and such a big star actor?Oh, it was a beautiful experience, very, very beautiful. On day 1, I was standing in front of strongmen like Akshay sir and Ranveer bhai, and I was speechless. I didn’t even know how to say hello. I didn’t interact in the early days. Akshaye sir I had scenes but I couldn’t say hello! For him, he was always quiet and inside himself on the sets. But then once after finishing the scenes, Akshaye bhai smiled at me; then I shook his hand. After that, we became very good friends. He is a Punjabi, and I am a Punjabi, so we spoke in Punjabi and talked about Amritsar and many other things. He is a very beautiful person. What can I say about Ranveer Singh? His aura is so strong that you feel intimidated, and it makes you think: Will I be able to match his energy? But one incident changed everything. A photographer was clicking pictures of BTS, and he called me, “Vikramm sir, come click pictures with me.” He addressed me as “Sir”! That broke all doubts. After that, I started calling him Ranveer bhai. He has been a gem of a person. On my birthday, he sent me a bouquet home with a lovely note. I really appreciate that. He even answered me once on Instagram, even though I’m a normal person, and he took that time. How can I not love it?
Did you get any advice from your co-stars?I don’t think there was any direct advice. They were all at such a level that their energy matched. But the appreciation was definitely there. I remember a scene in Part 2 where I had to give a dialogue signal in a noisy foundry. I spoke loudly, and after the cut, Ranveer bhai came to me and said, “Your voice is so good.” That meant a lot. He is very appreciative and a true gentleman, very strict in his work.The film is quite intense. What was the atmosphere like on the set?No one worked under pressure. There were some intense moments; for example, I heard about a scene from the 26/11 recordings, which were about 45-46 minutes long. That must have been very emotionally heavy for those involved, I’m sure. But otherwise, I didn’t feel a lively atmosphere. Even when I wasn’t filming, I went to the set because that’s my happy place. Of course, during the take, everyone was in sync with the tone of the film. It’s not a comedy, so the actors acted in a serious, character-driven realm.What about ‘Dhurandhar 3’? Want to explore more of Shakeel?What I would like Aditya Sir to explore, is his baby; he knows best. But according to the news, he doesn’t want to do part 3. Although there are loose ways, sometimes the stories are left open for the audience to decide. I think he has kept it that way. Relax, who knows?You have balanced corporate work and acting. How was that trip?The journey of a year and a half has been very nice. I’m still working in the corporate industry so managing both is boring. I carried my office laptop whenever I had time to shoot locations and attend calls and meetings. Interestingly, very few people on the set knew about my corporate work, and no one in my office knew about my Bollywood project. Now, after the movie, my seniors feel proud. People are told that one of the workers ‘worked at Dhurandhar.“For me, that’s like an Oscar or any other award moment to get respect.
