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‘Aditya Dhar wasn’t given credit by directors’: Priyadarshan reveals how Dhurandhar 2 filmmaker was ‘scammed’ before record-breaking success
Priyadarshan recalled that Aditya Dhar worked with him for three years in the early 2010s. The Dhurandhar director was disillusioned at the time for being refused credit for work he had done.
Priyadarshan and Aditya Dhar on the sets of Tezz.
Aditya Dhar is now known for making films like Dhurandhar and Uri but way before the director made it big in the movies, he went through a long period of struggle in the film industry. In a new interview, director Priyadarshan who has extensively worked with Aditya previously, revealed that the Uri director was quite “disappointed” when he was not credited for some of the films that he had written. Priyadarshan also revealed that Aditya was also a cricketer in his younger days and his selection in the Under-19 cricket team was jeopardised because of some “political influences.”
Priyadarshan was in conversation with Mashable India when he was asked about his working relationship with Aditya. The Dhurandhar helmer worked as Priyadarshan’s assistant director for three years in the early 2010s. When asked if he could gauge Aditya’s potential, Priydarshan said that one can “never anticipate or underestimate anybody.” He recalled further, “When Aditya was working with me, he was also writing dialogues so for three years, I think, we worked together. I was always positive about him because he had a wonderful language. That was his biggest asset at that time.”
‘Aditya Dhar was dropped from U-19 cricket team because of political influences’
Priyadarshan said that he met Aditya when he was quite “disappointed” because of his earlier experiences in the film industry. “He came to me when he was very disappointed with a few films which actually he penned, but he never got the credit,” he shared and recalled another anecdote from their time together.
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The Hera Pheri director said, “He was a cricketer but he could not get into the Under-19 team because of some political influence so he was moved out. He was very disappointed sitting at home. Someone called him to see a film, and that was Gardish. He said he saw Gardish and said, ‘This is something I want to do and I came to Mumbai’.”
In an interview to SCREEN after his first success Uri in 2019, Aditya had said, “2019 has been my most rewarding year till date. After years of struggling through many projects that got shelved for some reason, the wait turned out to be worthwhile and gratifying. Uri not only found its way into the hearts of millions across the country but also evoked a sense of patriotism in people across generations. That was the proudest moment for me.”
Dhurandhar director Aditya Dhar turned 43 on Thursday. (Credit: Instagram/@adityadharfilms)
Aditya Dhar credits Priyadarshan for his success
After the success of Dhurandhar, Priyadarshan took to Instagram to share a picture of the duo from the set of Tezz and shared in the caption, “There is no greater happiness than watching my disciple rise with such remarkable success. Congratulations Aditya Dhar on Dhurandhar, and heartfelt best wishes for Dhurandhar 2.”
Aditya was quick to respond and wrote in the comments section, “My Dearest Priyan Sir… this means more to me than I can ever put into words!! You believed in me when I was a nobody, and when all I had was conviction and a few written pages. You treated me like an equal, and gave me something far more precious than just work – dignity, trust, and love… In an industry where I often learnt what not to do, you taught me exactly what to do, not just as a filmmaker, but as a human being.”
Aditya shared that he wrote the dialogues for Priyadarshan’s Aakrosh and Tezz and said that every step that he took in his directorial journey, had an “imprint” of the veteran filmmaker. “I will forever be your student first. Thank you for everything, Sir. This success is as much yours as it is mine,” he wrote.
Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar The Revenge is set to release on March 19. And Priyadarshan’s upcoming film Bhooth Bangle, releases on April 10.