Siddhant Chaturvedi is all set to represent India in a new FIFA World Cup anthem, which he shot recently in Qatar. The actor will be seen with American rapper Lil Baby in the video, which will be released closer to the finals.

Talking exclusively to Bombay Times, he says, “I feel this one’s going to be the most catchy anthem of the season. It is about the journey; it’s about taking control and winning. It’s also about hustling and coming from nowhere and making it big! The anthem seems to be totally aligned with my journey (in Bollywood). It features young artistes from all around the world. In the video, you will see me rapping and vibing with Lil Baby.”

Siddhant, who’s a die-hard football fan, got to shoot at places he never imagined he would be at. The Gully Boy actor shares, “We filmed the video at a stadium in Qatar, on the field, where footballers play matches. It was quite surreal as I walked through the tunnel, just like they do. I also shot inside the dressing room.”

Siddhant says, “I can’t get over the fact that I shot on the same pitch where Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi played and the same dressing room where they chilled during the matches. I am just going bonkers!”

He is also thrilled about the fact that the video is shot by Director X, who has worked with international artistes like Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Drake, among others. As he parked himself in Qatar for a few days for the shoot, the actor also took the opportunity to watch two matches live.

“It was like a dream come true as this was the first time I saw a football World Cup match live in a stadium. I was there for four days and could watch two matches — Brazil vs Cameroon and Denmark vs Belgium. During the Brazil match, I saw Neymar. Though he wasn’t playing, I am happy that I got to see him. During the Belgium match, I saw Romelu Lukaku. Since I was there to shoot the video, I got a great seat. As I walked towards my seat, it felt like the ground was getting bigger and bigger as the seat was so close to it. I could see the players closely. It was such a thrilling experience,” says the actor.

This year, he feels quite aligned with the match results. He shares, “This time, the FIFA World Cup has been all about the underdogs. Japan played extremely well and Saudi Arabia shocked the world by beating Argentina in one of the matches. I am an underdog myself, so I kind of relate to these victories.”

The Gehraiyaan actor, who played football while growing up, is also a part of a celebrity football team in Mumbai. Having had injuries multiple times while playing the sport earlier in his life, Siddhant was skeptical about taking up football after becoming an actor. He says, “I joined the club recently. I didn’t want to take a risk. I have had four ligament tears during my football matches earlier. So, it was tricky for me to go back on the field even though I was missing it a lot. In fact, I remember a month before the national finale of the Bombay Times Fresh Face in 2013, I had a football match where I tore a ligament. I won that competition despite the leg injury as I performed with bandages around my leg. Even a few days before the music launch of Gully Boy, I faced an injury while playing football.”

Ask him to name his favourite players from the celebrity football club and he shares, “I like Tiger Shroff and RK (Ranbir Kapoor); he has a great game sense. He is as crazy about football as one can be. Tiger toh ek chalti phirti machine hai. His game is really good. I gel well with Ahan Shetty. He has recently joined and he’s this silent beast.”