I Don’t Wait For Work Anymore, I Make Stories That Excite Me

Actor and singer Siddharth works across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema. He is widely recognised for his breakout Bollywood role in Rang De Basanti. His recent cinematic releases include Indian 2, Miss You, Test and 3BHK. He leads the Netflix war drama series Operation Safed Sagar as Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.

Here he is, in conversation with DC.

How much did you have to prep for your part in Operation Safed Sagar?

I play a young squadron leader training a group of younger pilots. The IAF was part of this project from the start. We were trained by veterans, including some who served during Operation Safed Sagar in 1999. Every shot, action and dialogue has gone through them to maintain authenticity. It was a very exciting prep and it was new to me as I’ve never played a Fighter Pilot before.

How do you condition yourself into letting your character take over your real self?

Every character needs work, in order to separate it from my real self. The more detailed and inspiring the writing, the easier it becomes to get there. Abhijeet Parmar and Kushal Srivastava did heavy research before writing these characters and their script gave me a strong foundation. It was also highly motivating because I was playing a venerable war hero, Sqdn Leader Ajay Ahuja. And of course, actors need directors — Oni Sen is a very sensitive, hands-on director.

Tamil cinema, like the rest of Indian cinema, seems to be undergoing a lot of churning. Do you find it difficult to zero on projects that suit your sensibility?

I’ve been producing films since 2012. My last production Chithha showed me that I don’t need to wait for work to find me. I can find stories that excite me and make them myself.

How do you approach each project and its outcome?

I’m just hoping to be a better actor with each outing and to learn or attempt something that’s new to me. What happens after release is not in my hands and so I don’t take results too seriously.

What are your plans for the coming months?

I have four releases in the next six months — two in Hindi, one in Tamil and my American debut. There’s lots of promotion work coming up! I’m also filming for four projects in three languages over the next year, one of which is a home production. I’m very grateful for the place I’m in, considering where the industry is and excitedly curious to see what next year holds for me.