Siddhant Chaturvedi – a Bollywood luminary and the heartthrob of the Gen Z generation, is back again with his magical razr sharp charm. The “Kho Gaye Hum Kahan” star has a vibrant on-screen charisma as magnetic as his off-screen charm. From stealing hearts with his breakthrough performance in “Gully Boy” to leaving an indelible mark on the industry, Siddhant embodies youthful exuberance and uncontrolled passion. Let’s get into the enigmatic world of this rising star, where each frame tells a story, and every expression paints a canvas of Bollywood brilliance.
I love technology, and I spend at least an hour a day fooling around with it. Then music is a very integral part of my living.
ex: Siddhant, from Inside Edge, Gully Boy to Gehraiyaan and now ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan,’ you’ve worked in diverse genres. What excites you the most about exploring different roles and genres in your career?
Siddhant: The thing that excites me the most is the uncertainty and the challenges that the roles I’m playing offer. It helps me in exploring more and more about people, different characters, and about different walks of life. So I’m very curious and peculiar about choosing a character because it’s really boring for me if it’s closer to my personality. So yeah, that is the thing that I really keep in mind. And, for the first few films, I didn’t have a choice as I was a newcomer, and it was hard to get in. So whatever good things, at least what I felt was right at that time, I chose. For example, I auditioned for Gully Boy, and I got the role. Then, Bunty and Babli 2 and Gehraiyaan happened because those were the best choices, of that time. So, whatever limited choices I had, I went for them because they excited me a lot at that time and allowed me to explore something new.
ex: We know you’re a tech fanatic. What role does technology play in your daily life, and are there any specific gadgets or apps that you prefer to flip your day-to-day hustle?
Siddhant: I love technology, and I spend at least an hour a day fooling around with it. Then music is a very integral part of my living. I can’t sleep without music, so I have to have my speakers, earphones and AirPods everywhere. I use music as a gadget to also get into the feel of a scene or a character. I’m a gaming freak and use my PlayStation a lot. I make sure that I play every game that is coming out, but when I’m shooting, I try to avoid it as much as possible because it’s distracting.
ex: Your versatility as an actor shines through diverse roles. How do you approach character development, and what aspects of your personal experiences do you bring into your performances?
Siddhant: Well, versatility is something which I focus on because I feel actors should be like water and should be moulded in anything physically, emotionally, and vocally. I don’t like to be defined as an actor who does just the same kind of films because I also have different aspects of me which I really worked on when I quit CA and was working on myself, so I picked up martial arts, dancing, writing, singing and a lot of other things. The character development depends on the script as well as the director, and I rely on my director for that because they have a bigger vision than I have. Watching films of a similar kind helps me in the character development process. Also, since we started playing games with in-depth storytelling, I have become a great observer, and it has helped me in character development.
ex: The title of your upcoming film, ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan,’ suggests a sense of exploration and discovery. How does the film resonate with your own journey in the film industry, and what do you hope the audience takes away from this modern-age ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ adventure?
Siddhant: I think I would say that I found myself rather than being lost in the industry because I found my passion and the more I work, I realise that I am in love with what I do. And also, I think I have just found myself here, and, there’s no other place I would want to be. I think I was lost a little bit after my CA exams when I really didn’t know what to do, but I’ve found myself recently. So I’m trying to just be here and take it all in. And about the aspects people can take away from this modern-age ‘Dil Chahta Hai’? I think let’s not put pressure on this film. Dil Chahta Hai is a legendary film and we can never match up to that ever. However, I would say there’s a common factor as both the films are about friendship. So I think one thing that you’ll take away from this film is friendship and how friendships have evolved in the new digital age.
ex: Working with Ananya Panday and now Adarsh Gaurav in ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’, how do these collaborations contribute to your growth as an actor, and what unique qualities does each co-star bring to the set?
Siddhant: I’m only as good as my co-star. Adarsh is very focused on his craft. He’s very, disciplined, punctual and particular about things. He is passionate about films as well as music and loves wandering in nature. I think that’s something that I would take away from Adarsh. And, about Aranya, I think she constantly wants to grow and make herself better. She is a director’s actor and gives her 100 per cent to whatever character she is playing. You can mould her the way you would, and when you guys will watch the film, you’ll see she has done a great job. So these are the things I would like to learn from Adarsh and Ananya.
ex: Your journey so far has been impressive. How do you keep challenging yourself with each project, and what goals do you set for yourself as an actor in the new year 2024 or in the evolving landscape of Bollywood?
Siddhant: Well, it’s always evolving. The goal is to keep doing good work, keep playing different characters, and also try to retain myself in the process, without getting it to my head. And my next film is an action film, so it’s every boy’s dream to be shooting and kicking butts on screen. So, yeah, that’s something that I’m really excited about. The goal is to just be there on the box office charts. That’s my aim right now, but that doesn’t mean I’ll restrict myself to that. If something is fitted for a digital platform, I would love to do it.
ex: What’s your favourite workout routine or exercise, and do you have a guilty pleasure snack that you treat yourself to afterwards?
Siddhant: The best workout for me is playing sports, be it cricket, football or whatever. I just want to be outdoors, running, jumping, climbing; that’s what I love, and it gets difficult in the city to find places to do that, but I make sure that I take some time out.
Other than that, I like animal flow as a workout because it feels like a character, be it a crab walk, monkey walk, or a frog walk. So I do like getting into stuff like that as it helps me mentally to kind of ease down and get relaxed. Also, I do these kinds of workouts usually while listening to tribal music. About my guilty pleasure snack, it would be a packet of crispy biscuits, not too sweet, and I dip it in Nutella while I’m watching a film. I can not watch a film without food. So, I like to have banana chips, sukha bhel, peanut butter and biscuits, bread butter with sugar and jalebi with vanilla ice cream while watching a movie.
QUICK BYTES
ex: Your Instagram game is strong. If you had to describe your social media presence in three emojis, which ones would they be, and why?
Siddhant: The namaste emoji is one of my favourites, then a heart emoji is something that I only send to people who are close to me and, for some reason, an alien emoji.
ex: Your style game is always on point. Can you share a fashion tip or go-to accessory that adds the extra ‘oomph’ to your look?
Siddhant: I would say that I really like comfortable clothes, on the little baggier side. I like chains; that’s something that I add to my look. I’m not a collector, but I really like good watches. I have a couple of them, and I keep repeating them. I’m not a big fan of rings. I don’t know if ever noticed that or not, but I like wearing quirky socks as well.
ex: We’ve seen your poetic side on social media. If your life had a title poem, what would it be?
Siddhant: It would be “The man who could do everything”. Also, if I had to make up one and if I could use a poem title that is already there, then it would be “After Apple Picking”. It is a poem that I’m inspired by. Even a poem called “If” by Rudyard Kipling is a very good title because that’s what my life is. Whenever I feel low, I like to go back to this poem because it is a very strong and inspiring poem.
ex: Amidst your busy schedule, how do you unwind? Any quirky hobbies or guilty pleasures you indulge in to relax?
Siddhant: It’s not a quirk, but guitar because I love music. I play the guitar, and I write poetry, so I like turning my poetry into songs with my guitar, which I never release as it is just for me.
ex: What’s the most interesting or unexpected message you’ve received from a fan online?
Siddhant: A female fan of mine used to keep sending me voice notes about her life for a span of six months as if I was her diary. I never read it, but I used to hear it. It was very weird and strange because she was almost having a conversation as if I was responding to everything. And she used to update me about everything in her life. So I blocked her, so she got another profile and continued sending videos, messages, and voice notes to me as if I was her boyfriend.
ex: If you could create an AI version of yourself, what tasks would you delegate to ‘SiddhantBot’ to make your life easier?
Siddhant: I like to be present for everything. I think I’d be jealous if that bot got to live my life, even for a bit. I would want my bot to take the CA final exams and complete it because I can’t do it anymore, and it kind of is a thing that is in my head where I would want to complete it as I don’t like leaving things unfinished. I think the bot can do that better because it’s an AI, and it can remember things faster.
