‘I don’t respond to faceless trolls,’ says actor Siddharth

Who would dare to propose to someone whom they hate? This was precisely the question actor Siddharth had while listening to the script of Miss You from director N Rajasekar. “I don’t like working on love stories and I didn’t want to do it as we would be restricted to that genre. I have been avoiding it for more than a decade now. When Rajasekar told me the story, I suggested turning it into a story that no one has ever seen before,” Siddharth shares.

The actor, who has returned to play a romantic hero after a long time, says that he also wanted to take up a film that fulfilled the criteria of being unique and light. “We had an overwhelming, unforgettable reception with Chithha. It was also a personal achievement for me.

But the process of getting it out there, the depth in the subject of the film and other factors drained me as an actor and producer. It was a rewarding, yet tiring experience. So, I thought I should do one project that’s breezy, fun and colourful in the next three films that I had lined up,” he explains.

Siddharth understands that it takes effort to create a memorable love story. “It should be likeable and relatable among all ages. It is even more difficult to create something that would satisfy everyone in this generation,” he says. He also underscores the need to reinvent classic genres for younger audiences.

“If we reintroduce our favourite films to the younger crowd, they’d label it as ‘cringe’. If there is a message or two, we are called ‘boomers’ and if there is a slight dip in the pace, they start scrolling their phones. Hence, I feel that it is our responsibility to retell these stories in fresh, engaging ways.”

Siddharth emphasises that Miss You is packaged with positivity and sweetness. Yet he promises that “the film will delve into the life of middle-class youth and will be as close to reality as possible” and that even the supporting characters, especially his friends’ roles, would be well-written.

“Along with Maaran, Bala Saravanan, Karunakaran, we also have a female character played by Sashtika. I wanted these friends to stand out and not have meek, poorly-written roles, especially Sastika’s. She is probably the well-educated one in the gang in the film.”

Siddharth also has expectations for his own characters, some of which set boundaries with regard to his Miss You co-stars. “I don’t perform ‘special numbers’ or lay my hands on a woman, pointing at how she should be. That is how I am choosing my films. In that way, Miss You also treads a path where women are treated with dignity,” he reveals.

As he lays further stress on responsibility, a question arises if his script choices and the expectations laid on him changed after Chithha’s success. “Responsibility isn’t something I adopt just because someone reminds me of it. It stems from the values instilled by my parents and mentors.

The audience doesn’t need to prompt me to act responsibly after Chithha,” he asserts. With over two decades of industry experience, Siddharth believes this journey naturally led him to take on such meaningful projects. He also acknowledges that Chithha has opened doors to better opportunities, describing it as a significant ‘re-launch’ into the second innings of his career.

With growing discussions over the monetary and star value of a film, Siddharth says that his focus is solely on providing a happy experience for his audience. “The pressure with current films is the competition between a ‘big’ film and a ‘small’ film. There is no correlation between the budget of a film and how big it is. It all depends on the film’s core message, relevancy and if it truly stands the test of time,” he says.

As a producer, does this also mean he keeps a check on the pulse of the audience? Siddharth replies, “I didn’t make Chithha after noting the trends in the industry. I wanted to make films that I wanted to see on screen. This will be the same for the upcoming films as well. Nobody can know about the pulse of the public. Nobody can guess that a film will earn tremendous profit. I can only back myself in the process of producing a film.”

Siddharth most recently appeared in Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2, which reunited him with director Shankar two decades after Boys. The film received significant criticism from audiences and critics. Unfazed by the trolls, the actor stated that he values criticism only from people whose opinions he respects.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to join hands with industry legends like Kamal Haasan and Shankar,” says Siddharth, while adding, “I don’t respond to faceless trolls. Should I let go of my happiness just because some people dislike me irrespective of what I do? I only look at the positive side of everything. The film has crossed several hurdles and earned over Rs 160 crore at the box office,” he elaborates.

Further retorting to his critics, the actor shares, “I have been acting for the last 22 years. If these trolls have some respect, they can re-enact the same sequences featuring Chitra Aravindhan in Indian 2 and share it on social media.”

Coming back to Miss You, the film carries the tagline, ‘Love always finds its way’. The actor, who too had found love and married his reel-life partner Aditi Rao Hydari, shares that he is at an ecstatic phase in his life which almost feels dream-like. “I have gotten a renewed hope for life after meeting a wonderful person like her. I have only seen these happen in dreams. We are extremely grateful and it is an added happiness to take up a love story after years when my real-life love story is coming to a complete circle,” he signs off.

(Written by Narayani M)