All facts, no cap

How do you get Siddhant Chaturvedi to let his guard down? By firing slightly unhinged questions at him. We asked. He delivered. Here's all the tea

- Christalle Fernandes

Siddhant Chaturvedi is on a roll. Before he made his big-screen debut with Gully Boy (2019), he'd already been on a TV show (Zee5's Life Sahi Hai, 2016 – 2018) and an OTT series (Amazon Prime's Inside Edge, 2017-2019). Since then, he's been in five more films and has three more releases coming up. For most 31-year-olds, the burden of one's own ambition and success might bring on crippling anxiety. Chaturvedi, though, seems unfazed. “I’m always excited for my films to come out, but whatever I’m doing in the moment – being on set, attending events, or meeting people – is more fun. I like being on the go.”

Chaturvedi has played a cricketer, a street rapper, a stand-up comedian and a soldier. His next few films (Dhadak 2, Dil Ka Darwaaza Khol Na Darling, and an untitled Sanjay Leela Bhansali project) are all romances. “I’ve put my heart into them, literally,” he says.

It’s a busy time. And busy times are when actors let their guards down. So, we decided to trap him into a rapid fire, and get his hot takes on life, relationships, cringey trends, and being an actor. “Being unfiltered always gets me into trouble,” he admits. Let’s see how he holds up.

What has been your most favourite role, and your least favourite one?

My favourite is the one that I’m playing next in Dhadak 2. My least favourite, just in terms of screen time I had, was playing Sahil Hooda in the web series Life Sahi Hai (2016 - 2018). It was my first work. I didn’t really have a chance to shine.

What’s your indicator of success?