I would love to do a negative role or a double role now-Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth Malhotra opens up on his choices and living his dreams...
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 11, 2016)


Not many newcomers would possibly take up a two-hero film so early in their careers but most of your films were multiple-hero projects. Are you comfortable with that space?
Of course. It comes from a mindset where I am not just looking for a project to sign up. When I am looking for a film, I want to be a part of good stories so that I can have a library maybe years later. It’s very difficult to be good in a bad film. So I would rather be part of good movies where even if I have a smaller part or a part that I have to share. Because in the long run, I will have some really good films to be proud of and be happier.

Do constant write-ups about your love life affect you?
It used to. Now, I am used to it. We have so much to do in a day. We have to really choose what goes in our head. That comes with a certain amount of training. So I guess I have trained myself now to filter the information that comes in.

You have Alia opposite you. You think your real-life chemistry translated on-screen as well?
It’s good thing that people are first seeing the chemistry on screen which is the most important thing. What happens off camera is not. Bahut mazaa aaya to work with Alia again and I think we have both matured. Alia’s Hindi has become better, so she can improvise now. She used to struggle before. She has a great command over the screen now. Student Of The Year was our first film, so we were all nervous and could not enjoy the process. Now, we are enjoying the scenes!

First Akshay and now Fawad, anyone else you want to play brother to, on screen?
(Laughs) These castings weren’t on my wishlist! I had a different wishlist of actresses which I went through. Sadly, last two films I have had brothers (Smiles). Also, in the last two years, I have worked with all the young actresses so now I am happy, I am going to be out of that brother zone romancing Katrina. There’s no desire to be someone’s brother right now.

Brothers didn’t work as expected. Was it more disappointing given the hard work you piped in for the film?
Brothers not working was the first lesson because it was a new world altogether for me. Previously, I was lucky enough that I was spoiled by the audiences. All my films were hits and I was going up and up with Hasee Toh Phasee and Ek Villain giving me a high. I think the response to Brothers leveled me. It matures you a bit because you realise you can’t take the audiences for granted. Second, is the communication. It’s not like I would not back the film. We enjoyed the story that we made but sometimes, it’s also the dynamics of what people want the film to be, that comes into play. So when it was action, audiences only wanted the action and didn’t want the intensity and the depth. So probably, they missed the lighter moments. You become a victim of that when you try something new or portray a film of one genre. So yeah, it’s made me more grounded and aware of what the audiences will or won’t like. I will choose my films that way.

Are you more at ease with failure now?
Definitely. For the first time when you haven’t really experienced that, you get highly thrown off but once you come back from that dip, that’s what you call maturity. When you play a sport and just winning, scoring goals all the time, you are on a high. The first time when you lose and miss, it really plays on your mind. The third time you will know that this is how your career is going to be like. You need to realise that eventually it’s over a period of time and that’s not short term. You are here for the long haul and you will have ups and downs. But the common man’s dreams that I have — that won’t die!

Salman thinks the Gen-Y actors like you are his competition...
(Starts smiling) He is obviously kidding and being extremely sweet about it. He is in a league of his own. No one can be competition for him. As you can see, how the last year went. All the big films did not really take off and he was the only superstar who was constant. He is Salman Khan. He is definitely in a very, very big league which is impossible for us to be in.

Any biopic you would like to do on screen?
I want to do a sports biopic. I would love to play a famous sportsman on screen or maybe pick up a sport and present it. I think we need some good writers and we have so much talent in India. They need to write for us. I can’t pick one, because it’s very difficult.

Rugby player?
Rugby in India? (Thinks) Actually there’s a film being made on rugby down South. That will be fun and I was looking at that. Apart from that, we have so many sportsmen actually. Not just cricket, we should have one on the life of a soccer player. Kolkata has so many. Goa has so many. Even if they are local players, it has to be inspired. Even a tennis film will be interesting. I love sport, so I will do it with a lot of excitement.

Will you be comfortable going bald for the film?
Of course. It’s not a big deal today. If you have trust and faith in the director and they sell you a script, what’s the problem? It’s all about belief and conviction.

Would you ever take up a negative role?
Why not? It will be very interesting to do. Woh reh gaya hai karne ke liye. There needs to be a script for that. It’s my goal. I would love to do a negative role or a double role now. First of all, Ek Villain was testing waters. So people liked the little aggressive zone I was in for Ek Villain and Brothers. So now, since I have got positive responses, sky is the limit. If someone gives me to play an obsessive murderer or someone will be making something like Darr again, it would be great to try it out!