Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2019)

They say that the handsome never go hungry. Sidharth Malhotra has had a tough time at the movies, but he’s kept his chin up and has taken life lessons from the experiences of working in movies like Ittefaq (2017) and Aiyaary (2018). In a heart-to-heart with BT, the young actor talks about dealing with life’s curve balls, his struggling days as a newcomer and how he has tried not to fall into the trappings of the industry. Excerpts...

You were a rank outsider in Bollywood when you made your debut with Student of the Year (2012). Since then, you have been seen in nine films. Looking back, what is your understanding of the film industry? Tell us about some of your learnings and revelations.
I have learned more from the films that didn’t go my way. The ones which didn’t work helped me understand that what works at the script level might not necessarily work on screen. With experience, I have also been able to understand what kind of roles interest me. I like doing roles that challenge my craft. I have always mixed up the roles I have chosen — from playing aggressive characters in Ek Villain (2014) and Brothers (2015) to playing the boy-next-door in Kapoor & Sons (2016). There have been good films and bad films, but growing with each film has been an enriching experience. I have also learned a lot, having worked with a variety of filmmakers. I am still equally excited about every film I embark on, as I have never repeated my roles on screen and that is a tough thing to follow.

You have two big releases in 2019, these roles appealed to you because they made you come out of your comfort zone?
I am currently shooting for Marjavaan and have wrapped up the shoot of Jabariya Jodi. Both these films will see me in avatars that the audience has not seen me in before. In Jabariya Jodi, the audience will see me playing a rustic character for the first time. He is a Patna boy, who carries out pakadua vivaah (forced marriages). I was aware of forced marriages taking place in Bihar. I did my own research on the subject as well and came across a large number of such incidents that also happen in UP. Come to think of it, these are only the cases that were reported. When I heard the story, I was excited about it and took it to Ekta Kapoor (producer), she loved the concept and even added to the humour quotient of the film by bringing in some writers on board. When we narrated the script to Parineeti (Chopra), she loved it and quickly came on board. Marjavaan’s backdrop is the underbelly of Mumbai. It is an intense action film, which revolves around a love story. I haven’t done massy and masala films before, so this was a new experience.

You were supposed to start shooting for the Vikram Batra (Kargil War hero) biopic after Aiyaary. Has there been a change of plans?
Vikram Batra’s family approached me for the film two-and-a-half years back. They wanted to talk about their son and his story. According to them, there was a physical similarity between their son and me. He has a twin brother, who was also actively involved in the process. I met the family and was touched by the story. We didn’t have a bound script because there was a lot that we had to incorporate. He was heroic in his professional as well as his personal life. It took time for the script to be penned and also to rope in a director. South director Vishnuvardhan, who is helming the project, has a lot of experience in the action films genre. I also approached Karan Johar for the film; he bought in to the script and added his own inputs.

Actors, who enter the industry, want to certainly be known as good actors, but they also keenly look forward to their brush with stardom. What were your aspirations and how much of that have you been able to achieve?
I just wanted to get recognised so I could impress the ladies (laughs!). Honestly, the first exciting bit is to be a recognisable face. One hopes that people will watch your film, scream out your dialogues and dance to your songs. I have experienced all of that and I think I have been lucky. I didn’t want to fall into the trap of following a template of what actors have done in the past. One of the biggest challenges for me as a newcomer and as an outsider was to figure out how I could stand out.

You made your debut with a big banner, yet, as an outsider, it must have taken you a while to ease into this space. In this industry, often egos are big and relationships fragile. Did you have to be careful about what you said, or what you didn’t say to the filmi folks?
Yes, initially I was careful about what I said because people in the industry can get easily offended. In my early days, I felt that silence was my best friend, but today, I have spent enough time in the industry and have forged relationships with people. Our friends and colleagues keep changing every few months because we are working on different films, but sometimes you remain friends even after you have wrapped up the shoot of a film. The perception could be that I am quiet, but actually I put my point across to people when I think I need to and people get the message.

India’s Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality in a landmark judgement in 2018. In fact, your film Kapoor & Sons had one of the lead actors Fawad Khan play a gay character. Now, do you think more mainstream actors will be open to essaying such roles on screen?
Playing a gay or lesbian character on screen is a personal choice and we need good writers to portray characters with different shades. Shakun Batra was trying to make Kapoor & Sons for a year. Many actors were refusing the role, which was eventually played by Fawad. The fact that there was a character who was gay, overshadowed other aspects of the film, which spoke about a dysfunctional family. But that’s how close minded we are about a subject like this. I am aware of certain films being made on that topic in the industry with both male as well as female actors at the centre of it. I am keen to see how the audience responds to it.

The #MeToo movement was a watershed moment this year and led to many well-known names being named and shamed. How did you respond to it?
The #MeToo movement was important to set norms right. Taking advantage of somebody for work or in exchange of work is appalling. The movement has led to a clean-up and it will create a better space for women working in the industry. People will fear being defamed and also fear being in the limelight for the wrong reason. It will stop people from doing this. I am hoping that all the cases that have spoken about are genuine. The ones who have been accused will hopefully learn their lesson. The industry has taken a strong stand against perpetrators of the crime and that’s a welcome move.