Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; January 28, 2018)

Sidharth Malhotra’s modest personality often contradicts his movie-star looks and makes him far more real than his contemporaries off screen. He is often seen hanging out with Bollywood royalty, but deep down, he continues to be the guy next door. In a conversation with BT, the Aiyaary actor spoke about his love life, his take on patriotism in times of intolerance and how he hasn’t had it easy in Bollywood, unlike the popular perception. Excerpts...

Speculations about your personal life continue to make headlines. You were clicked with an unknown woman at your birthday bash recently…
The girl that the media is referring to is my dear friend Gauri, who is someone I have known since the time I came to Mumbai. Over the years, I have realised that there is no point clarifying these things, as there’s only this much you can do. I rather conserve my time and energy for something more productive, like my work. If you pay attention to everything that is being said about you, you will burn out in no time.

So, are you single?
Yes, I am single.

Does it annoy you when trolls say, ‘Sidharth is in the business only because he is good-looking’?
When your films work at the box office, it doesn’t affect you. It depends on what phase of life and mood I am in. The comments on my looks haven’t really irked me as much as when someone, who is no longer on Twitter, passed a comment on my female co-star (Alia Bhatt), and I shot back at him. I don’t usually react to what’s written about my films (good or bad). I feel your work should speak for itself.

Your film, Aiyaary, will now compete with Pad Man at the box office. How do you weigh this situation?
Two films can release on a single day and we are very confident of our movie. Both films have to sustain.

Has Aiyaary changed the way you look at freedom and patriotism in these times of intolerance?
This is one of my most real and credible films that falls into the spy thriller genre. Director Neeraj Pandey’s strength lies in his writing. He explores subjects that make a difference to our lives and raises questions that are relevant. I grew up in Delhi and the problems we face in cities are mostly first world. This film gave me an opportunity to see the ground reality and what it takes to protect a country. I have new-found respect for the Armed Forces. It has made me less complacent and I value my freedom more.

Speaking of patriotism, what’s your take on the National Anthem debate in theatres?
It’s not fair to say that only if you do certain things, you are patriotic. Intentions and respect need to be given more importance than the pattern or norms that one follows.

Your co-star Manoj Bajpayee appreciates your dedication to fitness, but he also says that it was a task to get you to relax…
Manoj likes his glass of wine (smiles) and I am more of a foodie. He is obsessed with ordering food and not eating it. He is so fit and lean because he talks about food, but doesn’t eat it. When we were in Kashmir, he kept on saying ‘wazwan wazwan’ (a multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine) but when we ordered it, I had to eat the whole thing! On a serious note, just watching him work taught me a lot. I was quite intimidated by him, especially in a confrontational scene. I had to prep extra for that scene and he was gracious and patient enough to give me time.

Do you consider yourself fortunate to have made it to the big league in a relatively short span of time, despite being an outsider?
Before becoming an actor, I was a model, but I did it for pocket money. Then, I became an assistant director in my mid-20s (Dostana, My Name Is Khan) and I was thrilled to be on set and do all the jobs that ADs do. I feel it’s just the beginning for me. A lot of hard work has gone into moving from Delhi to Mumbai — like shifting several houses and staying away from family. I have been in this industry for 10 years, but I don’t think that I have arrived; the best is yet to come. Also, I am not obsessed with what’s written about me. I’d rather do activities that are more fulfilling like travelling, exercising, horse riding and hanging out with my non-industry friends, as it gives me a sense of normalcy. If someone’s engaging, I can have a conversation with them for hours.

Does it bother you that your solo films haven’t really worked so far?
When a film doesn’t do well, it definitely affects the actor. I have realised that it’s difficult to pinpoint why a film works or doesn’t work. There is no formula. All you can do is look forward and not let that fear curb the choices you make in the future. You have to follow your instincts. You don’t know how the script is going to pan out on the big screen. I don’t let it disappoint me.

A while ago, you were trolled on social media for your tweet on A Gentleman: Sundar, Susheel, Risky, which evoked anger as well as laughter. The tweet said, “To all the people of Haryana, please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove.” (sic) In hindsight, do you think it was an insensitive tweet?
To be honest, the news that I got at 10 in the morning that day (The day of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh verdict) from my production team was that theatres have been shut, that’s all. I was told that our film won’t open in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, which is a big territory for any film on a Friday. Being the lead actor, I was concerned. All I intended to say was that theatres are shut, so I hope you guys can see the film later. But given how the situation escalated in the next five hours, in comparison, my tweet looked offensive and out of place. I didn’t want to delete it because I wrote it much before... I am not mentally unstable to write these things. There is a feature on the site, where you can see the time at which a tweet was posted. I explained all of that, but no one cared. I figured that sometimes, you just need to be more careful, especially when it comes to certain topics. While social media can be used positively, it can also make you vulnerable to backlash as it makes you more accessible.