“‘A Dream for Any Actor’: Nikitin Dheer on Playing the Villain in Akaal”

Nikitin Dheer, known for his strong presence in the Indian film industry, will be seen playing the role of a villain in Gippy Grewal’s directorial debut Akaal, which is set to release on April 10, 2025. At the trailer launch of the film, Nikitin shared his excitement about the opportunity and his experience working with Gippy Grewal, who also directed the film.

 

Nikitin revealed that he had been trying for a long time to be part of a good Punjabi film, but the right role had always been elusive. He explained that when Gippy Grewal’s call came, everything fell into place: “I’ve been trying to do a good Punjabi film for a long time. Several times I got opportunities, but the characters didn’t seem right. I felt I couldn’t do justice to them. Then one day, I received a call from Gippy Paaji about this film. My father had worked with Gippy in a film called Kaptaan… Since that day, I’ve heard so much praise about him. When his call came, it was a no-brainer. He sent me the character’s look, and it was extremely magnetic.”

 

He further elaborated on the magnitude of the role and the importance of the character of Akaal Singh, the film’s central character. Nikitin expressed how exciting it was for him to be playing the villain opposite such a significant role:”This film is named after Akaal Singh, and the character is so big that the villain opposite him has to be presented in a certain way. The way Gippy has presented the villain, it’s a dream for any actor. I feel honored that I was chosen for this role. Gippy could have chosen the best actors for this role, and I’m really thankful to him for picking me.”

 

Nikitin also shared his thoughts on Gippy Grewal as a director. He praised Gippy for giving actors the freedom to express themselves and allowing them to bring their characters to life while guiding them in the right direction:

 

“I think a good director is someone who gives the actor freedom to explore. But if the actor is going in the wrong direction, they must be corrected. I feel Gippy gave me all the freedom as an actor to bring his villain to life. As a director, he is phenomenal. Our film was very challenging and action-packed. We shot in extremely cold weather, and most of my scenes were during the night. But despite all the challenges, there was so much love and warmth on set, I didn’t even realize when the film came to an end.”

 

He went on to praise Gippy’s clear vision as a director, which made the process smoother for the actors:”His vision was so clear that it made things much easier for us as actors. It’s been one of my best experiences.”

 

Titled ‘Akaal The Unconquered,’ the film will be hitting the big screens on 10th April, 2025.