Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 27, 2019)

Remember the beach sequence — featuring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif — from Bang Bang (2014) wherein they are ensconced in a beach house, but still get attacked, leading to an elaborate action sequence? Until that point, director Siddharth Anand hadn’t shot “any action scenes in his life”. “I had done only romantic films that didn’t even feature a slap. So, I didn’t even know how to shoot a slap,” he says with a laugh.

But in an interesting turn of events, an out-and-out action flick has landed Siddharth his biggest blockbuster ever, War (that has made close to ₹320 crore in India). “From that point to now, when War has set a benchmark of sorts, the journey has been great. Now, I am so much at home with action. I am glad I shifted genres five years ago. Generally, a filmmaker doesn’t get his/her biggest hit so late [in career] so I am grateful that I have seen a success like War in my lifetime. I know I have to handle it cautiously now,” says the director, who has rom-coms such as Salaam Namaste (2005), Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and Anjaana Anjaani (2010), among others, to his credit.

“If you see the arc of my journey, I feel I somewhere plateaued with Anjaana Anjaani, but then challenged myself with Bang Bang. And now with War, I have finally found my voice and calling,” says Siddharth, while readily admitting that he “loves making romantic films because they are about real emotions”. He says: “Post-Bang Bang I have not been able to think of a romantic story. The day I find that, or if somebody approaches me with it, I will straightaway get into it. But right now, how much I am enjoying myself in action is unbelievable. Now, I am like a kid in a candy store. I have the world in front of me, but I need to be so careful about what I choose to do and how I choose to do it,” says Siddharth, as he readies to complete five years as a filmmaker next year.

In the next five years, Siddharth hopes to do five films. “Fingers crossed (laughs). I want to be more efficient in putting things together. I hope I have one release every year but I never know what plans God has for me. I have certain plans though,” says the director, adding he has “waited a long time for this (such a big hit) to happen.” Now, he hopes to keep giving successful films. “These (his upcoming work) are big and expensive films and they can only be made with big stars. And these stars will only work with you if you are successful,” he concludes.

War 2 and Rambo in the pipeline!
As War hits the bullseye at the box office, Siddharth confirms that a franchise is on the cards. “Yes, War 2 will happen but it’s too early to talk about it as it’s not on the agenda right now,” says the director, who is most likely to pick up the Rambo remake as his next. “I am busy with Rambo and another idea. But at the moment, Rambo is what I am working on. I am due to start that next year, but there is another idea — another action film — that I am working on. So, you never know,” he says.