Meet actor who quit CA exams, refused Karan Johar film, was blacklisted from Bollywood, then debuted in Rs 200-crore hit

Siddhant Chaturvedi has won over audiences with his genuine and heartfelt performances in the series Inside Edge and films such as Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Gully Boy, and Gehraiyaan. Born on April 29, 1993, in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, Siddhant moved to Mumbai with his family when he was just 5 years old. While attending Mithibai College, he began acting in theatre and plays. After winning a popular fresh face contest, Siddhant decided to forgo his final CA exams to pursue film auditions. He even passed the audition for Karan Johar’s Brahmastra, directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, but turned down the opportunity after his father's advice. He was also offered a three-film deal with Johar's Dharma Productions, which he declined as well.

In an interview with Humans of Bombay in 2024, Siddhant shared how his father discouraged him from signing Brahmastra. He said, "They were still writing the script, and I was excited. I could have done it as well, but my father wouldn’t have let me. 'You are better than this,' he says, even till today he pushes me. I was elated that I will be getting a three-film contract with Dharma. I met Ayan, who showed me his vision of Brahmastra. I had only done a handful of ads by then, so I was a nobody. I told my father the film has Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan and he asked me, 'Toh tujhe kaun dekhega (so, who will notice you)?' He said, ‘Nahi beta, I don’t think you should do it. Do you have the script, have you auditioned for it? If you don’t even know what you are going to do in that film, don’t sell your destiny.'"

The actor further added that he was blacklisted from Bollywood after rejecting multiple films. "The problem wasn’t that I had no offers, but I knew I only wanted to be a hero, to do leading parts. I will act, I have worked hard on my craft, but I wanted to create a big splash. I had gotten shortlisted for a lot films, which I turned down saying I don’t think this can do justice to what I think I will be. I was blacklisted, because people thought, 'Who this person is saying no?'; I refused to play side characters, because I knew my potential was a lot. I didn’t want to short-sell myself", he concluded.

In 2019, Siddhant eventually made his Bollywood debut with Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy, in which he played the rapper MC Sher. His powerful performance earned him several accolades, including Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut, and Screen Award for Best Male Debut. The 2019 musical drama, inspired by the lives of Indian street rappers DIVINE and Naezy, earned Rs 140 crore net in India and grossed Rs 235 crore worldwide.

After refusing to work with Karan Johar in Brahmastra, Siddhant will be seen next in the romantic drama Dhadak 2, which is bankrolled by Johar's Dharma Productions. Starring Triptii Dimri as the leading lady, the upcoming movie is the spiritual sequel of the 2018 Dhadak, that starred Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor. An official remake of the 2018 Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal, Dhadak 2 will release in cinemas in 2025.