Filmmaker Aditya Dhar opened up about his first impression of renowned character designer and prosthetics artist Preetisheel Singh, admitting that he was initially hesitant to meet her and collaborate with her for Dhurandhar because he had heard she was “arrogant” and “too expensive.”
Dhar shared a heartfelt note on Instagram on Thursday (April 9) while celebrating Singh’s contribution to his blockbuster film Dhurandhar and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge. Along with a series of photos, the director spoke about how his perception changed after meeting her.
In his post, Dhar wrote, "Here’s to Preetisheel, my Sardarni sister from Pathankot. Mera Sher.😁 When I first heard her name, I’ll be honest, I was hesitant. There were all these opinions floating around, “she’s arrogant,” “she’s too expensive,” “she only does prestige projects.” And then I met her. In that one meeting, all of it just fell apart. It reminded me of something I’ve learned the hard way in this industry, never build your truth on borrowed opinions. More often than not, they come from a place that has nothing to do with the person you’re about to meet."
The director went on to praise Singh not only for her artistic skill but also for her personality and dedication on set.
"What I found in Preeti was not just an artist of extraordinary ability but a deeply warm, grounded and fiercely loving human being. The laughter we shared in the middle of madness, the long conversations about life, the endless hours spent obsessing over every character, those are memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life. There was something about her presence, that beautiful, reassuring smile, that made even the most impossible days feel manageable."
Dhar also revealed how Singh constantly encouraged him during the filmmaking process.
"And then there was her constant voice in my ear, lifting me up in ways I didn’t even know I needed. “Aditya, tujhe pata nahi hai tu kya cheez hai, tujhe idea bhi nahi hai tu kya karne wala hai.”❤️ What she and her team pulled off on this film is nothing short of extraordinary. When most of the crew was waking up, they were already on set. And when everyone wrapped, they were still there. Running on barely 2–3 hours of sleep, day after day, with a kind of relentless focus that you rarely witness. No complaints. No noise. Just pure commitment to the vision."
Opening up about the scale of work involved, Dhar said Singh and her team created over a hundred character designs across both parts of the film.
"There were more than a hundred character designs across both parts (some extremely complicated ones like Nawab Shafiq and Bade Saab). Thousands of faces shaped, aged, transformed. An army of nearly 20,000 junior artists brought to life through detail, texture and truth. But beyond the numbers, what stays with me is the intent. For Preeti, it was never about “looks.” It was always about people. About making sure every character, no matter how small, felt real, lived-in and honest. She treated each face with respect, as if it had a story worth telling. That’s rare."
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar: The Revenge continues its impressive run at the box office. The film has reportedly collected over Rs 1600 crore worldwide and remains one of the biggest hits of the year.
