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INTERVIEW! Sidharth Malhotra On Rashmika Mandanna, Action Genre And Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe
Excited to start the year with a film release, actor Sidharth Malhotra says, "This year I have films like Mission Majnu and Yoddha coming up, I am also shooting for Rohit Shetty's Indian Police Force. It's been a busy year for me, so I'm happy about it."
Mission Majnu, directed by Shantanu Bagchi, will feature Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles. The film will be available for streaming on Netflix from January 20. Siddharth is playing the role of a RAW agent in the film, who is living in Pakistan to complete a mission. The film has a flavour of patriotism with lots of action.
Ahead of the release, Sidharth Malhotra recently spoke about his upcoming films, his experience of working with Rashmika Mandanna, fascination for the action genre, and a lot more in an exclusive interview with Filmibeat.
Excerpts from the interview.
Q. Tell us something about your character in Mission Majnu? What attracted you to the film?
A. The most important and fascinating thing for me was that there are many layers in this character. A lot of effort and time went into character building. It was important to play this character in a realistic manner. Here I could not go over the top. Agents don't really go guns blazing. The whole idea is to be secretive and unassuming. So, that was interesting to me. At the same time, a lot of work has also been done in adopting the look of the 1970s. This is the first time for me to play a character based in the 1970s so there is a retro aspect to it.
Q. How was the experience of working with Rashmika Mandanna?
A. This is Rashmika's first Hindi film, which she shot. The best thing about her is that she didn't come with any prejudice. She just came on the sets with an open mind about what to do and how to do it. She was very comfortable on the sets and that is a great thing. We did a lot of readings together, a lot of rehearsals, and tried to keep the scenes very simple as the story has a very innocent love story. Hope people like our work.
Q. What you liked most about the 70s era while shooting?
A. I think people in those days didn't have access to so much information, so there was a kind of innocence. We are bombarded with so much information these days that everyone is getting a little biased and volatile. In the 1970s, the way of communication was also very different. You had to meet people in person to get your point across. You didn't have a phone or mobile with you all the time. You used to be more social. At the same time, I like the styling of the 70s. Whatever chance I got to live that time through this film, I found it very interesting.
Q. You are seen doing tremendous action in the trailer. After Mission Majnu, you will also be seen in Yoddha and Indian Police Force, which also tap into the action genre. How much do you enjoy this genre now?
A. I think, it's after Ek Villain, when directors believed that I could play such strong characters. My phase of action films started from there. But it is a matter of coincidence that all these films are coming back to back. I signed Shershaah 5 years ago, but it came in 2021. Whereas, Mission Majnu, Yoddha, and Indian Police Force are all my recent projects which are now ready to release. Maybe writers-directors now see me from that aspect. But the good thing is that all these worlds are completely different from each other. Like Mission Majnu is very different from what I have done in Shershaah. But yes, I gravitate toward real-life characters and real heroes. When you see their story on the screen and think that it has actually happened, it's a different feeling altogether. On the other hand, Indian Police Force is a Rohit Shetty project. So the biggest reason behind doing it was Rohit sir only. You just react in a different universe, when you wear a cop uniform for him. We are currently shooting for it in Hyderabad. And my other film, Yoddha is a fictional story, where I got to do a lot of action. So yes, at the moment I am happy that I am getting a chance to do so much in the action genre.
Q. How exciting was it to be a part of Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe?
A. Indian Police Force is a cop universe that is going to come in a long format. Here we are trying to show a story in Rohit Shetty style, in a real but commercial way. This is the story of chor-police. We have finished shooting a large portion, but there are still a few months of shooting left. I think very few directors know how to present heroes like Rohit Shetty does. The way he brings heroism even in a simple shot, our audience loves that. His background score, the way the action is shot, everything is very different. However, we have also done a lot of raw action in this. There is more hand-to-hand combat and less stunts. It is expected that it will release next year.
Q. Do you feel that after Shehshaah, there has been a change in the opinion of producers and directors about you?
A. Absolutely, there has been a change since Shershaah and I am glad about it. When people see you in a positive way, when people like your work, like your film, it feels good. I believe that good work only gives you good work in the future. In today's time, stories come first, followed by everything else. That's why I have also become a bit more selective.
Q. Shershaah got so much praise from the audience and the response to Mission Majnu is also good. Do you miss the box office numbers at this time?
A. I think that if the content is good then it will get love and recognition anywhere. Every actor wants their film to reach a wider audience. People should see the work without any pressure. That's why I don't miss the box office numbers in that sense. I think it takes even more effort to keep people engaged on this platform because you have the remote in your hand. To be honest, OTT is more challenging.
