“I Will Turn A Producer Soon”- Siddharth Malhotra

In this free wheeling interview, Siddharth Malhotra who will be seen in the film Marjaavaan soon, tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that he likes to reinvent himself from time to time as an actor and spring surprises on then audiences

What exactly is your forthcoming release Marjaavaan all about?

Marjaavaan is an intense love story with a difference. It has the flavor of the 70’s and 80’s and is larger than life fictitious drama in which the hero even goes to the extent of killing the heroine, like Shah Rukh Khan did in the 90’s in Baazigar. Though at heart Marjaavaan is a love story, the greatest fun is to try to do something new. I hope like people asked Bahubali ko Kattappa ne kyon maara, they also start asking Raghu ne Zoya ko kyon Maara?

Do you mean to say that Marjaavaan is like Bahubali when it comes to fictitious content?

Look here.  Let’s face it, Bahubali was not completely fictitious but it was of a different level altogether when compared to Marjaavaan. Milap Jhaveri whose last directorial was Satyameva Jayate, has not only written the film but also directed the film. We have come up with two different trailers for Marjaavaan though it is only one film and touchwood there has been a terrific response from the public to the trailers.

What is your approach as an actor today seven years after you made your debut with Karan Johar’s Student of The Year?

As an actor with every film you need to figure out to what extent you can pull of your character effortlessly. It is all a matter of seeing on camera how a scene is coming out. It makes sense to me as an actor to move up step by step by essaying different kinds of roles in different genres.

What went wrong with Jabariya Jodi in which your performance was appreciated by the audience as well as the critics alike?

The saving grace of the film Jabariya Jodi was me. Hough my performance in the film as appreciated, what went wrong was the way its release date was pushed at the eleventh hour.  Besides that, the film was skewed to one particular state where bridegrooms were kidnapped and married off to girls who could not afford the steep dowry. The biggest problem, I realized in hindsight was that the film could not cater to a larger audience.

How do you think you have grown over the years as an actor?

I have learned one thing or the other over the last seven years ever since my debut film Student of The Year was released, not only as far as acting is concerned but also as far as filmmaking is concerned per se. Though right now, I have matured as an actor over the years and since I have come from a different mindset and background and belong to a non filmy family, I have always tried to re invent myself constantly as an actor. I also have a better understanding of my craft now and know what is transpiring in front of the camera. Like you will make out when you see me in Aiyyary, Ittefaq or for that matter Brothers. I like to change my zone as an actor from time to time and give something different each time you come to see me in a film.

Can you elucidate?

In Marjaavaan, I play to the gallery since it is a larger than life film. I got a lot of love for my performance in Kapoor & Sons and also Ek Villain.

Which, according to you are your best five films as an actor?

The turning point in my career as an actor was undoubtedly Ek Villain. I did Kapoor &Sons because I was floored by the script when it was narrated to me. I count Student of The Year also among my five best films because I made m my debut with the film and last but not the least Marjaavaan on which I am banking a lot as an actor..

Is it true that you were slated to produce Shershah, the biopic on Vikram Batra?

It is true that I may have produced Shershah which is a biopic on Vikram Batra but I do not have any control over the content as an actor and hence I have decided to turn a producer shortly. If only I had the necessary resources, I certainly would have jumped into the bandwagon of production with Shershah

As an actor, what is your criterion when you set out to choose a film?

I feel that every film that I set out to do should be a film which is different from the earlier one. The character that I set out to play should have an arc from the beginning to the end in the film and I should also like the director’s zone.I am lucky that I got an opportunity to try to be in different genres of films as an actor. I have been a part of comedies, thrillers, action films. I am lucky I am in a position to take my own decision and be part of films like Marjaavaan and Shershah in zones in which you have not at all seen me earlier as an actor.A film does not have a formula as such but nothing is worse than a change in the release date of a film. If the production value is not good or your script does not hold you or one department of filmmaking is lagging behind another, it should not at all hamper your future choices at all. If it is true to its genre and the maker is honest to the core, every film will run

Are you game to do web series since a lot of actors are now part of web series too?

Today, there are very less number of OTT platforms in India when you compare with the USA. It is still in its infancy and it will take a lot more time. Right now, though I do get offers to act in web series, none of the offers has excited me but I do not rule out the possibility of being part of any web series in the near future when the situation turns right.

You were part of Student of The Year. Can you tell what went wrong with SOT 2?

It is difficult to say what went wrong when a film does not do good business at the box office. Though it is true that the sequel of Student of The Year did not run as well as the first part of the franchise did, I really think that it is unfair to compare Karan Johar with Puneet Malhotra, because both are directors with entirely different sensibilities. Even today Karan is capable of making a masala youth- oriented film which kids will love to watch!

Who are the directors in your wish list today?

I would be delighted to work with Rohit Shetty and Rajkumar Hirani in any genre that they want me to hands down.

Which is your next release?

It is Shershah with Kirana Advani cast opposite me in the role of the real life girl friend of Capt Vikram Batra in the biopic. We were the first to shoot an action film in Kargil after the Kargil war. After acting in the film in Kargil for 50 days like an army unit, supported by the army, my respect for the jawans has increased manifold. During the shoot, I even fell down from my bike but survived without any injuries on my face because I had covered my face with a scarf

You made a great pair with Katrina Kaif in Baar Baar Dekho but the pair isn’t being repeated because the film sank at the box office. What do you think?

The producers think that because one film didn’t click, the audience may not like to see the pair again. If I get a good script, I am gamer to act with Katrina Kaif once again after Baar Baar Dekho. Look at Shraddha Kapoor. Though Ek Villain was a great hit, no producer has paired her opposite me after Ek Villain. In any case, I feel that the audience has short memory.

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