In an industry where it's easy to get stereotyped, Sidharth Malhotra, who made his Bollywood debut with Karan Johar's Student Of The Year (2012), has always made a conscious effort to choose diverse subjects. His latest release, Ittefaq, further reaffirms his eagerness to explore yet another genre.

“I was well aware that the thriller didn't have commercial trappings like songs and foreign locales,“ says Sidharth, adding, “It's a concept and content-driven film and I was excited to play a multi-layered character, who delivers a punch in the end. He's not your typical Bollywood hero. It's challenging to convince the audience of the positive and negative aspects of a character - it's almost like a double role. We're happy with the response the movie has garnered and are hopeful of the business it will do in the coming days.“

Ittefaq, also starring Akshaye Khanna, is not the first time that Sidharth has been pitted against an experienced actor. Previously too, he held his own against Akshay Kumar in Brothers. Not one to be insecure, the young actor says, “If Akshaye's character hadn't worked, my punch would have lost its impact. It's great to have a senior actor to share screen space with.“

Probe if switching genres is a professional strategy and Sidharth explains, “I've never taken a safe route. Being an outsider and a part of the younger generation of actors, I see this as my way of standing out. Why should I feed off something from the past and do safer films? Some films work, some don't. I'm pushing my limits and am happy that people are noticing my growth as an actor.“

Sidharth, whose repertoire also features Hasee Toh Phasee, Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921), Ek Villain and Baar Baar Dekho, points out that the definition of mainstream has changed.“This is the new mainstream - content-driven subjects made on reasonable budgets. While I'd also like to do a big-budget film once a year or so, they have to be relevant today. Like my next, Aiyaary, a thriller-drama directed by Neeraj Pandey. Actors can create a legacy only from films that make an impact, which lasts longer than box-office success. Few films can achieve both. We know of so many memorable films that didn't exactly work well commercially. Years down the line, when people look at my filmography, I'd like them to see a legacy of new-age content films,“ he signs off.