It is not every day that you find actors who are in touch with their reality and capable of portraying characters in a believable and authentic fashion. Siddhant Chaturvedi, a 2016 debutant, however, has a clear memo on this. He’s as real as a star can get and knows how to navigate his personal pride in his acting talents with his genuine love for cinema.
On-screen, he manages to tap into his emotional reservoir, taking his role as a rapper in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, for instance, to bring out characters that feel personal. He candidly tells us that he’s always on the lookout for diverse and experimental roles that are far from his reality.
“I find it very boring to play myself on-screen, so I choose characters that are far away from me and present a challenge. I don’t want to get stuck in my own personality. I want to go beyond myself and explore. It’s almost like stepping into the darkness and finding your own way out,” he explains.
Siddhant, who believes in embracing the unknown on-screen, is passionate about his craft and you see a glimpse of it when the cameras are off and you sit with him for a quick chat. You find him assertive about claiming the throne in the next year; if anything, his resolution intrigues you further.
1.png?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
Fresh off his OTT success Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, where he plays a stand-up comedian trapped in the world of online dating, we speak a little about his addictive optimism and a lot about his plans for 2024.
How was your experience working with Zoya Akhtar for the second time (the first being Gully Boy)?
I think she has extracted the best out of me. She feels that with my earlier choices, nobody was using me as an actor as much as they should have. I am glad this film landed and people are appreciating the performances. It has always been a delight working with her and she writes the best scripts along with Reema Kagti. So, I am grateful for this film and more power to Zoya for having faith in me.
The film touches on the subject of feeling lost in the digital world. How do you strike a balance between your online and offline life?
See my approach is simple. There are creators and influencers entertaining people. There is already a lot of content and noise out there; I want to stick to films. I feel that is my medium of connection with my fans. I want to retain my personal life, so, I can surprise the audience on the screen. That’s how I maintain the balance. I try to be minimal with my usage of social media and promote positive thoughts rather than just sharing good pictures of me or the places I am visiting. I also have this platform called Siddy Chats where I post my thoughts with my fans and it is now a community of over 25K followers.
How do you make sure your characters feel genuine? Tell us about the nuances of your creative process.
Well, it depends from director to director and film to film, but what helps me is that I write. Writing my thoughts down helps me with the character. I did it in Gully Boy, where I wrote about the character’s journey in a rap. And for Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, I wrote the character’s journey as a stand-up piece where it is funny but also enlightening in some ways. For Gehraiyaan, I had a musical reference to bring out different emotions. I keep changing my process, there is no go-to but I feel writing and understanding the poetry of the script. I can figure out the pauses and read between the lines.
Other than being an actor, you are also an amazing dancer. Tell us a little about that.
You know I got my first film because I was dancing at a party and I was spotted. Dancing is my first love and, truth be told, I am a great dancer. I feel knowing how to dance is a prerequisite to being an actor. Plus, dancing, in terms of physicality and body language, helps with my characters as well. I can ace the talk and also the walk. The irony, however, is that nobody has discovered that part of me yet, but fortunately, in the next few films that I am doing, there will be some solid dancing. The world will be surprised when they see my moves.
You have got the grooves and the moves. What part does your style play in all of this?
Honestly, I don’t think so much about styling and mostly wear my dad’s clothes. He’s the real deal. I just want to be comfortable and minimal. Your styling speaks for where you come from and represents your state of mind, so, I keep switching my style here and there with every film. But when I am not shooting a film, I just want to be casual. I am not crazy about apparel labels. I don’t like clothes where the brand is showing. I feel I am the brand. I know it sounds cocky but there should be some rootedness in your styling.
Before we conclude, tell us about your 2024 plans. What can we see you next in?
2024 will be all about the box office! That’s been the goal for a long time now and it is now coming together. I want to keep doing different and diverse roles. The next film is a big-scale one and most of my projects will be announced soon. The audience has showered me with so much love, so, I have to take responsibility and make it big and also fulfil my dream of doing one of those ‘slow turns’ on the big screen (laughs). Now I am going for the throne. What else are we here for?
muskankhullar@newindianexpress.com
@muskankhullar03