Sidharth Malhotra on the pressures of performing, even off camera
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2017)

Sidharth Malhotra admits that despite becoming a successful actor within four years of his 2012 debut, Student of the Year, his mind, like a pendulum, is constantly swinging between the Delhi boy who dreamt big and the Bollywood actor who is delighted to have arrived but always expected to be in character. “It’s the pressure of performing when the cameras are turned off that bothers me. Fame is short-lived and I don’t want to fake it,” he sighs. “I have lived 25 years of my life doing fun things but now if I spend time with close friends or even family, it is up for conversation. I understand it’s the nature of my job, but I’m still that Delhi boy who doesn’t want everything he does to get published because he believes he’s big sh*t. That’s a terrible space to be in and I never want stardom to go to my head. So I go from Delhi boy to Bollywood actor over and over in my head.”

Sidharth admits that his approach to doing films is also different from his contemporaries’ because of his “outsider status”. Things like how much more money he’s earning than competition is a nonissue. “Everything makes me feel fortunate,” asserts the actor, who has just wrapped up Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s action-thriller, Reload, which he reiterates is not a sequel to Bang Bang or has any connection to the 2014 Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif-starrer. “The stunts were high-voltage with respect to the hand-to-hand combats. French action director Cyril Raffaelli (who’s choreographed action sequences of Hollywood films like Transporter and District 13), flew down to train me so I get the body language right. The action is highly stylised, there is a lot happening in cramped spaces like streets, restaurants, bars and even a shop,” he informs.

In the first week of February, he starts the remake of Yash Chopra’s 1969 murder mystery, Ittefaq, which will mark the directorial debut of Ravi Chopra’s son Abhay. “Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment are coming together and that makes it a film with a lot of metal. You can expect something different and special,” he promises, adding that Aashiqui 2, which reunites him with Alia Bhatt, is also in its final stages of scripting.

Buzz is, Shakun Batra is writing a script with him and Alia in mind. Sid, who dismisses his relationship status with Alia as not “print-worthy”, is more forthcoming on the subject of re-uniting with Shakun. “It’s hardly been a year since Kapoor & Sons released and keeping aside the rumours, I’d like to say that Shakun and I are connected because we’re both from Delhi and started off as assistant directors. We understand each other’s camera language and it will be great to work in another feature with him, whenever it happens,” he says, refusing to take credit for his performance in Kapoor & Sons, saying Shakun gave the character an edge and he gave it his touch, both meeting half way.”

Last month, they reunited for a commercial shoot with Priyanka Chopra. Sid, who’d met the actress briefly in the past, says she’s easy to work with, has lots of experience and an open mind. “She knew Shakun, when I joined them on set there was laughter all around. It was a long day with lots of work and she was simultaneously coordinating with her teams in the US on a Hollywood film. It was wonderful to watch,” recalls Sid who is also working with the Indian government for Skill India, a training programme for people under 30.

He admits that seven years ago if someone had told him to take off his shirt and dance, he wouldn’t have done it. “On the Dream Tour, I was dancing bare-chested in a stadium packed with fans. An actor who doesn’t contradict himself over the years, is an actor who has not grown at all,” he signs off.

Composer duo Sachin-Jigar on coming out of their comfort zone for the Haseena Parkar film
Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; December 20, 2016)

From the uptempo tracks in ABCD: Any Body Can Dance ((2013), and the trippy music of Go Goa Gone (2013) to soulful ones in Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and the gut wrenching creations for Badlapur (2015), Sachin-Jigar (Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya) have showcased a varied repertoire. The duo is currently working on the soundtrack of Haseena: The Queen Of Mumbai (based on Dawood Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar), which they confess, has shaken them out of their comfort zone.

“We agreed to take it up to set a new parameter for ourselves. We wanted to understand if we could deliver a score that is not trademark Sachin-Jigar sound. The soundtrack is experimental and challenging. Although the songs are predictable, the music is not quintessentially commercial. It’s a test to bring out our inner gangster or demon, so to speak. We’ve never attempted a soundtrack such as this in the past,” explains Sachin. The year 2016 has been low-key for the duo. Jigar argues, “We pick quality over quantity.

We decided against doing four films offered to us because we ran the risk of sounding repetitive. We chose Meri Pyari Bindu, Reloaded, Hindi Medium, Haseena and Ishq Vishk 2.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (December 16, 2016)

Sidharth Malhotra who took off to Bangkok to shoot the next schedule of Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK's Reloaded last week, suffered an ankle injury while performing some heavy duty action sequences in the Thai capital. A source from the set informed, “He was immediately attended to by on-set doctors and has been advised rest. Sidharth, however, has continued training without much of a break as the team is on a tight schedule.“

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 1, 2016)

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 26, 2016)

Sidharth Malhotra’s currently busy shooting his next — Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s, tentatively titled Reloaded. The film stars Jacqueline Fernandez opposite him. But there’s more...

A source reveals, “Sidharth has a double role in the film. It’s a very action film with lots of comedy and humour elements in it, in true DK-Raj style. Sid will be seen doing some raw hand-to-hand combat scenes for this film where he will be seen as a man on a mission.”

Our khabri adds that the two characters that Sid plays in the film will be diametrically opposite to each other. “The film has one more schedule left post this and it will be complete. It’s expected to release around June-July next summer,” says the source.

Rachana Dubey (MID-DAY; September 26, 2016)

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 20, 2016)

Amidst reports of a split between him and his steady-date, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra has been busying himself with work on his upcoming actioner, Reloaded, the second film in the Bang Bang franchise.

The 31-year-old actor shared a picture of him rehearsing for an intense action sequence on Monday in Mumbai. While the actor shot for the film's first schedule in Miami this May with co-star Jacqueline Fernandez, the team will embark on the next one in Mumbai's Worli Village this week.

After Miami, the second Bang Bang film returns to Mumbai after plans for Malaysia and Thailand schedules fell through
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 14, 2016)

Mirror had earlier reported (September 8) that the next schedule of the second Bang Bang film, Reloaded, had been shifted from Malaysia to Thailand after the team failed to get shooting subsidies.

Now, we hear the international schedule has been scrapped, and the team will resume shooting in Mumbai's Worli village from early next week. "We begin rehearsals towards the weekend. Some hi-octane car chase sequences will be filmed, including one featuring Sidharth (Malhotra) and Darshan (Kumaar; pictured on right) whose car gets stuck between two buildings. They play cadets being mentored by Suniel Shetty, an ex-colonel. After plans to shoot in Thailand fell through due to budgetary constraints, the team felt that Worli village was perfect location for the shoot," a source from the film's team told Mirror, adding that the month-long schedule in Miami was all about the romance between Sid and his leading lady, Jacqueline Fernandez. A major chunk of action sequences will be wrapped up in this Mumbai schedule after which Fox Star Studios will decide if or when the shoot will move to international locations. Thailand and Europe are reportedly still on the cards.

The film's spokesperson chose not to comment.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 8, 2016)

Mirror had reported (August 10) that the Sidharth Malhotra and Jaqueline Fernandez-starrer Reloaded was headed to Malaysia this October after wrapping up the Miami schedule earlier this year. Now, Mirror has learnt that the shoot has been rerouted to Thailand after the makers' application for subsidies wasn't approved by FINAS — the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia.

A source from the film's crew revealed, "We just got done with the recce and will start shooting by September 19 in a 26-day schedule in Thailand. Later, the team will also shoot some sequences in Mumbai. Before the film wraps up at the year-end, there will be another long schedule in December but the location is yet to be finalised. It could be in Europe."

The film's spokesperson chose not to comment.

A prequel to the Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaifstarrer Bang Bang, Reloaded also features Darshan Kumar and Suniel Shetty in the lead. Suniel who is making a comeback, three years after the 2013 action thriller, Enemmy (Jai Ho, Desi Kattey and The Shaukeens were special appearances), plays an excolonel, mentoring a group of fresh recruits, Sidharth being one of them.

The original was an official remake of the Hollywood film Knight and Day, featuring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. The prequel, however, is an original story, written and helmed by director duo Raj Nidimoru and Krisha DK.

Suniel gets back into action after three years and is set to take off to Malaysia with Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez this October
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 10, 2016)