After nearly 15 years of navigating auditions, actor Danish Pandor is basking in widespread recognition for his role as gangster Uzair Baloch in Dhurandhar (2025).

The 38-year-old credits the “overwhelming” appreciation in part to his co-stars Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna for fostering an inspiring atmosphere on set. “Ranveer is a rare actor who allows others to shine. His only focus is how to make a scene better. He comes to set completely in character. You get inspired watching him work,” he shares, adding, “Akshaye is a man of very few words. He sits quietly, observes everything, and when the camera rolls, he transforms. It taught me how much acting is about listening and absorbing; it’s an experience no acting school can give.”

The film has courted controversy by a section terming it a ‘propaganda film’ and has been banned in the Middle East. But Danish doesn’t let the criticism weigh him down: “Viewers are intelligent enough to decide what they want to take from it. If you keep focusing on the negative aspects, you won’t be able to move forward. You take what is good and move ahead with a pinch of salt.”

In an unpredictable industry, the actor is now focused on “proving himself again and again”. Recalling a particularly disheartening experience, he says, “The director loved my audition and a contract was sent over to me. Months passed as I waited for shooting to begin, when I realised the movie had been made with someone else. What do you do in that situation? You can’t fight it. You just move on.”

After actor Akshaye Khanna’s dance to Flipperachi’s track FA9LA from the movie went viral in India, the Bahraini rapper has announced a tour here. He posted on Instagram on Saturday night, “First India show date announced! We’re excited to be in Bengaluru on March 14 at @un40fam! More dates to be added soon. Which city should we stop in? Drop your city in the comments! (sic)”

The rapper, whose real name is Hussam Aseem, had earlier told HT City in an interview, “I’m overwhelmed and grateful for all the love FA9LA has been getting everywhere, but specifically in India. It’s another level when people vibe to your song at this scale. My team is working on multiple performance and collaboration projects. I’m very excited to perform live in India soon.”