Actor Aditya Uppal, who recently shared screen space with Sanjay Dutt in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, has opened up about the one actor he hopes to collaborate with next. In an exclusive chat with India Today, Uppal spoke about his admiration for Farhan Akhtar and reflected on his experience of working with Dutt.
In a candid conversation, Uppal revealed that Farhan tops his wishlist, citing a deep connection with his body of work. “I’d really love to share screen space with Farhan Akhtar. I genuinely admire his kind of cinema and his work as an actor. I feel there’s a lot to learn from him,” he said, adding, “if I had to name one, it would definitely be Farhan,” he said.
Calling it an “unconventional choice,” Uppal said his admiration stems from the way Farhan has carved a distinct space for himself as both an actor and filmmaker.
During the same conversation, Uppal also recalled his experience of working with Sanjay Dutt, admitting that there is an inherent sense of intimidation when sharing screen space with a legend.
“You do feel intimidated, obviously. He is a senior actor, a name we’ve all grown up watching. But the beauty of Sanjay sir is that he makes everything very comfortable. He brings a certain charm with him that instantly lightens the atmosphere on set,” he said.
Uppal added that Dutt’s presence helped elevate his performance. “He creates a space where you can stay in character, play around, and even improvise. He really lets you be,” he said.
Calling himself a longtime admirer, Uppal said the experience was deeply personal. “I’ve been his fan since childhood, so just standing next to him felt like an achievement in itself. Sharing screen space and dialogues with him was truly special.”
Calling himself a longtime admirer, Uppal described the experience as deeply personal. “I’ve been his fan since childhood, so just standing next to him felt like an achievement in itself. Sharing screen space and dialogues with him was truly special,” said the actor who plays Omar Hamid in the Aditya Dhar directorial.
Recalling the moment that stood out to him, Uppal said, “Even during my close-up shots, he chose to stay back and perform the scene with me instead of stepping away and using a double. That kind of support means a lot, especially for someone like me.”
Talking about their first interaction, Uppal said it happened directly on set due to time constraints. “I was cast at the last minute, and my first meeting with him was directly on set in Amritsar during the Hamza party scene. I remember touching his feet and telling him honestly that I’m one of his biggest fans, someone who grew up watching his films on VCRs.”
“I told him how much I admire his work, especially Sadak and Saajan. That’s how the conversation started, and from there, everything became very easy,” he added.
When asked about Dutt’s most impactful performances, Uppal said, “I think Sadak was very interesting, and at the same time, Khal Nayak remains one of the most important films of his career and one of my favourites too.”
