Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who is all set to star in Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming Netflix drama Sikandar Ka Muqaddar, has shared her admiration for the acclaimed filmmaker, describing him as both open-minded and disciplined in his approach to filmmaking. Speaking at the trailer launch of the series, which is centered around a complex diamond heist, Tamannaah revealed some fascinating insights into her experience working with Neeraj Pandey.
"It feels great, I look up to Neeraj Pandey, and the fact that he thought about me for this character," Tamannaah said with enthusiasm. The actress highlighted that Neeraj is not only receptive to an actor's suggestions but also maintains clear creative boundaries that make for a balanced and conducive working environment. "He is so open to us coming up with what we think is or do something for the character, and at the same time he has very interesting boundaries, so it’s the perfect balance that an actor needs to do their best."
Neeraj Pandey, known for his work on films like A Wednesday! and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, is celebrated for his precise filmmaking and meticulous attention to detail. Tamannaah's comments echo this, showing how the director's collaborative yet firm approach creates an atmosphere where actors can thrive, while still respecting the larger vision of the project.
During the launch event, Tamannaah also took a moment to appreciate the unsung heroes of filmmaking: the technical crew. She shared an emotional anecdote about the crew’s dedication, which left a lasting impression on her. "Apart from Neeraj, one more person I think I need to mention is our cameraman and cinematographer Arvind," Tamannaah said. "He is not here today, but this is something I got to tell you—there was this shot, and we were facing power failures. We were coming from one location and rushing off to the new one. This shot was on the roof, and we were in a hurry to complete the take because of the power failures, and Neeraj Sir wanted me to hit a mark very near the camera, and I couldn’t see it, hence I wasn’t very accurate."
In the middle of these challenges, it was Arvind’s dedication that stood out. "I asked Neeraj to get a stand-back, but Arvind, our cameraman, just sat down on the floor to help me complete the take. He won my heart in a way, that it reminded me of why we make films and the kind of hard work we put in to make films, because we love that process."
Tamannaah continued to emphasize the often-overlooked contributions of technical teams, saying, "We don’t much celebrate technical crew and all that, we only celebrate actors, but honestly films cannot be made without insanely strong technical crew. So thank you to my wonderful team for this wonderful experience."
Sikandar Ka Muqaddar is set to drop on Netflix on November 29!