Is Kiara Advani And Sidharth Malhotra's Reel Life Chemistry Real?

Keeping it real, the affable actor looks back at the winding path that brought him to the success of Shershaah and what keeps him grounded

- Puja Talwar

His charm, wit, warmth and easy-going personality—not to mention his good looks—make it easy to love Sidharth Malhotra. This writer has yet to meet a woman who doesn’t fancy him. Sidharth laughs out loud, with a hint of a blush, when I point this out.

Still riding high on the success of Shershaah, the actor is inching close to completing a decade in the industry. A lot has changed for the 36-year-old since his debut with Student Of The Year in 2012. Though when we ask him, his response is tinged with his signature sense of humour: “I don’t need to wait for a table at restaurants.”

Sidharth has had his share of struggles and box office ups and downs. From compliments to scathing reviews, he takes it all on the chin. “I have developed a thick skin,” he says. “It’s a prerequisite for any actor. I try to channelise my energy elsewhere and focus on the positives.”

Sid, as he’s fondly called, has had a lot to celebrate since the release of Shershaah, which was his “passion project”. The blockbuster holds the honour of being one of the highest-rated Hindi movies on IMDb. The reel life Captain Vikram Batra had invested five years on this movie and “put his reputation on the line” for it.

“The love I have for the craft holds a lot more value to me than financial or personal gain. I want to make movies and portray characters that have recall value; box office gains are temporary. Shershaah did that for me, and I feel extremely validated for all the years of hard work I put in,” Sidharth says.