I haven’t shied away from trying new things: Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth Malhotra has completed five years in the industry. And it’s been quite a ride for him. From huge successes like Student of the Year and Ek Villain to box-office failures like Baar Baar Dekho and A Gentleman, he has seen the best and worst of the business. The rollercoaster ride, however, hasn’t deterred him from making some out-of-the-box choices. Here, he talks about his journey so far and making some brave moves.

Are you happy with the way your career is shaping up?

I can never be happy. I can’t be absolutely satisfied. It’s a mirage...to be completely satisfied, especially in our business. In this industry, if one Friday is very satisfying, another might not be, and I have had my fair share of both in this journey. It has definitely helped me grow and got me to experience both, the highs and the lows. So, it’s a great experience. It’s training me in some way to do better and bigger things and preparing me for the future.

Go on..

As of now, I am happy that I have tried different things. Yes, some have worked, some haven’t, but that’s an experience that I will be taking forward. The kick of just trying something that’s out-of-the-box and not expected of you is great. Be it an Iteffaq where I had a negative role or eve­­­­­­­­n Aiyaary...or even Ek Villain’s Guru, who was an extremely aggressive character. It’s not like I have anything against the run-of-the-mill, mainstream films. I love them and grew up on them as well, and I will do that, but my instinct on these stories was that they need to be told... they will be newer, fresher. But I have also learnt not to be fearful of making different choices and listening to my instincts.

Because that’s all an actor has in this business. You can’t depend on anything else but your instinct for a guaranteed good performance or film.

From the Archie-Betty-Veronica kind of world in Student Of The Year, you have moved towards a more realistic zone. Has that been a conscious decision?

I think the stories have also changed because the audience wants to watch them now. Today, real stories are being accepted in the mainstream in a commercial way. If you look at Aiyaary, it’s my most real film in that sense. We haven’t used any sets, they are all real locations. We have shown what they are likely to do, how they would behave. We are playing real-life spies, not the James Bond kind of characters. It’s a good variety that I am not playing larger than life. Doing it with a director like Neeraj Pandey, who has done so well in this zone, is a great opportunity.

Does appreciation for a movie like Ittefaq give you the courage to try out something new?

Yes, definitely. That’s why I have been making these choices. I had an instinct about this film (Ittefaq) and this character, I knew that it would be interesting to find out that I am the killer in the end. People appreciate it and pinpoint certain scenes or enjoy the climax. That is definitely satisfying for a performer, especially a young actor like me. And especially, when I am doing something risky and am not playing the typical hero. When you get phone calls, messages or those kind of reviews, it’s very satisfying. That’s what we came into the business for.

Considering the fact that you are an outsider, isn’t the fear of failure more pronounced for someone like you?

The fear of shying away from trying new things isn’t something that overwhelms me. I haven’t shied away from trying new things, but I like to balance both — something that is very typical with something that’s edgy and out-of-the-box. If I can balance both these things in one year I think it will be a great year.