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Debutant Veer Pahariya Ahead of Sky Force Release: 'Always Felt That I Come From a Political Family and Living Very Sheltered Life'

Ahead of his acting debut with Sky Force, Veer Pahariya talks about his political background, living sheltered life, and taking inspiration from Janhvi Kapoor.

The audience will be introduced to many new faces in 2025 and one of the most anticipated debuts is that of Veer Pahariya. Pahariya hails from a political family and is all set to shine on the silver screen alongside Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan in the much-awaited action-thriller Sky Force, a film based on the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
Veer Pahariya (Photo: Special Arrangement)

By Seema Sinha

Published : Jan 23, 2025, 5:27 PM IST

The audience will be introduced to many new faces in 2025 and one of the most anticipated debuts is that of Veer Pahariya. Pahariya hails from a political family and is all set to shine on the silver screen alongside Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan in the much-awaited action-thriller Sky Force, a film based on the 1965 India-Pakistan war. An action-drama [directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani] set for its theatrical release today [on January 24] ahead of Republic Day is about India's retaliatory attack on the Sargodha airbase of Pakistan in air war of 1965, which marked India's first airstrike.

The 30-year-old newcomer plays the role of the late Squadron Leader Ajjamada B Devaiah as T Vijaya -- a daring fighter pilot who is bold, brash and utterly fearless while Akshay Kumar plays Wing Commander K O Ahuja, a fictionalized version of Group Captain O P Taneja. “It is a true story; it is very emotional and human and this is from the point of view of the squadron leader’s wife and his family. For 23 years, his wife and his unborn daughter didn’t know if he was dead or alive or whether he became a prisoner. Many years later his senior who was his best friend [played by Akshay Kumar] proved to the Indian government and the Defence Ministry about his heroic act,” During the 1965 India – Pakistan war, Devaiah (called 'Wings of Fire') was part of a strike mission targeting the Pakistani air base Sargodha when he was attacked by an enemy aircraft. He shot down the enemy pursuer's plane but in the process his aircraft was damaged and he went missing. Presumably he died in Pakistani territory. Devaiah is the only Indian Air Force officer to be posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra which is the second highest wartime gallantry award, below only to the Param Vir Chakra.

Veer Pahariya (Photo: Special Arrangement)

Raised in Delhi and Mumbai, Veer says he was always inclined towards a career in acting but as he grew up, he understood it was not an easy ride ahead and that one can’t land a lead role in films just like that and hence he started making efforts in that direction. “I loved being on stage and enjoyed singing and dancing. I did many ads and commercials as a child actor and once I finished school, I had a Youtube channel where I used to write, direct and produce music. I started building a little community and an audience. I started getting paid to perform in college festivals all around Maharashtra. Now because I got a little validation from the audience that I got the confidence to face the camera. But then I knew it is not that easy a ride. However, I had a lot of self-belief that I was born to do this. It wasn’t some kind of delusion because people had accepted me in some form and I knew that bigger things were in store for me. But then I also knew that I had to start at the grassroot level and I became a direction intern on the film Alone [2015 release starring Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover],” he says.

Next, he worked in the production team of Saif Ali Khan-starrer Bazaar [2018]. “Actually, I came very close to many projects as an actor but these films got shelved due to different reasons,” says Veer who also hosted live shows on the gaming app that he launched which, he says, taught him getting camera-friendly. “Everything I have done has been a stepping stone. I never lost hope and kept working on my craft. I would write and produce music. I want to have a career in both acting and music. Wherever I get an opportunity to be on stage to show my skills I will do that. I have worked very hard with a lot of shiddat [passion]” he says.

Finally, Veer’s dream was realised when Maddock Films owner and producer Dinesh Vijan liked some of his songs when he went to meet Vijan to “sell” his music. “And when I told him I also want to act, he introduced me to [Stree director] Amar Kaushik. I convinced them to give me an opportunity in Bhediya and I got the chance to do stunt doubles for Varun Dhawan. Much later, sometime mid-2022 I was offered SkyForce by Maddock,” he says. “I am fortunate to be launched in a biopic… to represent a real hero and show him to the world is my biggest fortune. You don’t choose your first film; the film chooses you. I have auditioned for many films and I know I will get work as per my face, my physical features, my personality ...Every actor is different. Luckily there is another actor [referring to Shah Rukh Khan] who is very iconic in our lifetime who started with a television show called Fauji. We got the NCC cadets and Defence Ministry to see the film and I was happy to hear that I look like that world, I look like that character, it can’t get bigger than this for me,” Veer further adds.

Veer Pahariya (Photo: Special Arrangement)

The debutant actor further reveals that he was always a bit worried about his influential family background and “sheltered life” coming in the way of his Bollywood dreams. Maternal grandson of former Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Veer further elaborates, “I always had this feeling that I came from a political family and I am living a very sheltered life. That grief was there from a very young age so I used to go out and take a lot of risks in life. Look at my first film ... I am playing a war hero and a father; I wear a moustache … I am here to break rules and create new ones,” he says.

Secondly, growing up with a lot of security around him due to threats from terrorists curbed Veer’s movements to some extent and for that reason, he says, he had to use different names in order to conceal his identity. If we recall, Shinde’s tenure as a Home Minister saw two major decisions of hanging the terrorists Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab. “After that we started getting a lot of threats. I used to have an anonymous name when I went to audition so that people didn’t know who I was or what my background was,” says Veer, whose brother Shikhar Pahariya, a professional horse rider, polo player and a businessman is rumoured to be dating Jahnvi Kapoor. There are also strong rumours of the celebrity couple's impending wedding, however, dodging these questions on family and personal life, Veer says sounding diplomatic, “Jahnvi has been in the industry for seven years, no? She has had a versatile career. I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to take any inspiration from anyone who has experience in what I am doing whether it is Akshay Sir, Sara, Jahnvi or Nimrat ma’am, or Amar Kaushik Sir, or Dinesh Vijan Sir… We all learn from each other, no one is ever settling and therefore all these people are achievers and have made a name for themselves.”

While working with Akshay Kumar was a bit intimidating in the beginning, Veer says, he had prepared himself when it came to his fitness regime and rising and sleeping early which Khiladi Kumar is known for. “I had not met Akshay Sir before and whatever my analysis on him was based on Youtube videos. I was all prepared and later realised he was a very easy going and youthful person and had no air about himself. We would be working out together, swimming, playing sports…we had to keep our body warm because it is an action film. It was rather surreal to be performing with the guy who has donned uniform in many of his movies,” says Veer.

Lastly, when asked about the criticism of having it all easy for those who have access to the famous and powerful, he retorts, “If I wanted to have it easy then wouldn’t I get into politics or business where my family has worked so hard? The film industry is a very small industry, everybody knows everybody here since birth. I haven’t had any association here until I started working in the film industry. I don’t really have any friends here and my closest friends are away from the world of movies. I have come here to work and every single day of mine goes to work.”

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