Siddhant Chaturvedi has never been the guy sprinting to the boundary on ball one. His game — in cricket and in Bollywood—is the long one. Build the innings. Read the pitch. And when he plays a shot, he makes it count.
It’s working. Since bursting onto screens as the electrifying MC Sher in Gully Boy (2019), he’s quietly racked up a filmography that refuses to repeat itself. Over the years, his patient, strategic, and temperament-driven approach has shaped his choices.Take, for instance, the emotional gut-punch of Gehraiyaan, the gleeful chaos of Phone Bhoot, the grit of Dhadak 2, or even the sincerity of a fast bowler in the Amazon Prime Video web series Inside Edge.
Now, with his latest movie, Do Deewane Seher Mein, running in theatres, Siddhant appears to be in a reflective mood—self-aware, and very much in his element.
When we ask him where he thinks he stands in this long game, he returns to his favourite metaphor—cricket. “I’ve crossed the excitement of the first few overs. Now it’s about temperament, choosing the right shots, and building a solid innings.”
Beyond the noise
Siddhant is ambitious without being loud about it, on screen and off. He has spoken before about being an outsider in the industry—a label that, for many, becomes either a badge of honour or a burden. For him, it is neither.
“I’ve spoken about being an outsider because it’s a part of my truth. But I don’t carry it as pressure. I carry it as perspective. When you come from the outside, there will always be conversations, labels, and doubts. But real power lies in being understated and allowing your talent, your craft, your consistency to do the talking.”
He walks into rooms differently now. The outsider tag is still part of his story, but it no longer runs the show. These days, he is too focused on the work to be distracted by the noise around it. “The idea isn’t about reacting to noise; it’s about having the confidence to stay focused while the noise exists,” he says.
That philosophy seems to even mirror the world of Do Deewane Seher Mein. Describing his role, he shares that the character’s ambition and self-doubt felt deeply personal. “The character’s ambition, self-doubt, and constant push to find his place felt very familiar to me. Those early struggles and emotional highs and lows are something I’ve lived through.”
The line between lived experience and performed emotion, it seems, blurs easily for him. Teaming up with Mrunal Thakur added another layer to that emotional landscape. “Working with Mrunal was a very collaborative and easy experience. She brings sincerity and emotional depth to her performances, which makes scenes flow naturally and elevates the work.”
Between cinema and music
Beyond cinema, Siddhant’s creative impulses stretch into poetry. Scroll through his social media, and you’ll find verses that oscillate between vulnerability and defiance. We asked whether writing is a form of self-healing, and he says, “It’s definitely a form of release for me. Writing helps me channel all my energy into something creative and honest, and sharing it feels like letting it breathe beyond me.”
The influence of that culture is also visible in his love for music. “Music has always been my thing, way beyond movies. I love digging up indie artists, sharing tracks I’m currently vibing with, or just supporting homegrown voices.”
Much like his character in Gully Boy, Siddhant also has a defined relationship with hip-hop and music. For Siddhant, hip-hop is not an aesthetic; it’s an ethic. “For me, hip-hop was never just a genre of music; it was a form of expression. It’s always been about telling your story without filters, owning your truth, and finding your rhythm in the chaos. This is how I approach life and my work.”
Perhaps this hip-hop sensibility explains why Crocs’ latest campaign, Let Them Talk, struck a chord with him. “The campaign really captured that feeling of being in your element. Walking through the city, freestyling in your head, humming a beat while you’re on the move—that’s real life for me. And the ECHO range fits right into this — It’s bold and sculpted, but still effortless. It doesn’t try too hard or scream for attention.”
Style, too, becomes an extension of that instinct. Siddhant’s fashion choices have steadily positioned him as someone unafraid of silhouettes, of experimentation, of fluidity. Yet when asked to define his personal style, he resists grand descriptors. “I’d say my personal style is instinctive and truly mood-driven. Some days I’m all about a minimal, relaxed fit, like a simple t-shirt with jeans and my classic clogs, while other days I’m more experimental, playing with shape, texture and silhouette.”
Comfort, he insists, is non-negotiable. “I naturally gravitate toward silhouettes that have character and can hold their own without feeling loud or overdone. Isn’t style really about staying true to your vibe and letting everything else do the talking?” It’s a line that could just as easily apply to his career.
For someone who arrived without a roadmap, he’s figured out something most people spend a career chasing: how to stay true to yourself in an industry that constantly asks you to be someone else. The first few overs were just the warm-up. The real innings, it turns out, is only just beginning for the actor.
Email: apurva.p @newindianexpress.com
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