Looking back on the past 10 years elicits mixed feelings in Sidharth Malhotra. He is both content and hungry for more. From being a rank outsider who landed Student Of The Year (2012), to becoming one of the popular actors of today, it has been a steady climb, filled with learning and discovery.

“When I started out, there was a lot of nervousness and anxiety. I learnt it all on the job, understood what steps to take, and how to improve in terms of performance or choice of films. I also learnt that intention is what matters. If you are true to the genre, and give your best in terms of the script and performance, [it brings results],” reflects the actor.

If the last decade saw him finding his feet, the next few years will be about building “the 2.0 version”. Netflix’s Mission Majnu is the first step in that direction. “Hopefully, Mission Majnu will mark a new version of me, in the avatar of a spy. After Shershaah [2021], I look forward to getting the same love from audiences and gratification for the [espionage] thriller.”

Director Shantanu Bagchi’s offering, set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, sees Malhotra as an R&AW agent who goes undercover to the neighbouring country to find information about their nuclear weapon facility. What instantly struck a chord with the actor was the story — inspired by true events, yet told through fictional characters.

“After playing Captain Vikram Batra, this is my endeavour to play a hero who can never come out and say what he has done for the country. It will tell the audience about the people who continuously work behind the scenes to protect us. Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Spy [2019] and Steven Spielberg’s Munich [2005], both based on true stories, seemed close to our film. This is not a spy who goes all guns blazing; he is not James Bond. He had to struggle — sometimes pretending to be a tailor, at other times, a plumber — to get that vital piece of information,” explains the actor.

After the success of Shershaah, he appears to be gravitating towards portraying heroes who serve the country. While Mission Majnu sees him bring a real-life agent’s story to the screen, he will play a man in the uniform in Yodha and Rohit Shetty’s Indian Police Force.

“In Yodha and Indian Police Force, I play fictional characters. I find it more engaging to play characters that are realistic, or inspired by real life.”