Sidharth Malhotra has completed a decade in Bollywood this year, and the actor hopes his ride can inspire people to follow their passion. “I think people need to see your journey from a holistic point of view… where you started off and where you are today. I have had an extreme journey [in the industry], coming from Delhi from a non-film background and being here today, working for the last 10 years and entertaining people in various different roles [has been quite a ride],” Malhotra tells us.

After starting his career as a model, the 37-year-old made his Hindi film debut with Student Of The Year in 2012. He went on to do projects like Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), Brothers (2015), Kapoor & Sons (2016) and Shershaah (2021). Malhotra calls it a journey of belief and hard work: “I feel anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Everyone’s opinion is not what you have to go by. You should live by your gut instincts, dedication and obsession about a field while trying to achieve it. I am a prime example of that and I hope that youngsters take inspiration from it.”

Though content with his ride so far, the actor admits that there’s still a long way to go to earn the tag of an ‘iconic actor’. Malhotra explains, “I know my work has been good and God has been kind, but to be an icon, you need to show the audience, with your actions, what needs to be done to achieve something in life.”