No absolutely after looking at the love and response that coming you know our way on social
media or otherwise, I know for sure that this would not have disappointed at the box office
you know for the producers or for any of us
People like to slot you and mould you into different, different you know roles in the industry
I've never let people mould me into one form I’ve always tried if you see my body of work of
the past different bits, I’ve never shied away from trying new things
Indra Kumar sir or Indra sir also tried to say something so special I mean whenever that film
comes out it's too early to talk about the content of it but it's a lovely slice of life film
with a lovely message and heart in the end
Firstly, Sid welcome to Pinkvilla. Its lovely having you here and congratulations on
Shershaah it is spectacular like the film is genuinely you know a landmark film of your career
so congratulations on that.
Thank you so much I’m so happy to hear that and I just feel you know this is the best reaction
that we could get for a film like Shershaah and I’m happy that you know people are seeing the
film and understanding what we're trying to portray.
So, Sid you know my first question to you is I know for a fact that you have been involved in
Shershaah from the word go and you have brought everything together. Could you tell us
about the journey of you know from the from the scratch of how you brought the project
together and got everything together basically?
Yes so, this this project came to me when I was shooting Gentleman you know which was
about five years ago and Shabbir Boxwala, our producer co-producer came with the family I
met Vishal Batra, Captain. Vikram Batra’s twin brother first to understand him and then I met
you know his father and then I met you know the mother I went to their house so it you know
in any film especially in a film like this the casting was most important because of course it's
a film based on Captain. Vikram Batra so I think that’s where the story begins that I feel
today extremely lucky that you know that meeting happened because that snowballed into
everything you know me being a part of this film today like Shershaah but that being said
when I heard the film it took about a year and a half with a completely different production
house, in a different team, in a different script, it was not really culminating into something
which I was personally satisfied with and or I felt the way it needs to be told or the content
that’s in it because it's extremely challenging to put you know just two hours of putting
everything of someone's life in just two hours so I remember taking permission after a year
and a half or two years from Vishal Batra that you know if you allow me I would love to you
know get this film made in the best possible way and I would want to take it to Dharma
productions because I feel they bring in a sense of quality and at that time Dharma
productions had not signed the biopic and you know I had taken the script and idea to them
and it snowballed into a very interesting team of getting Sandeep Shrivastava as a writer
through Sandeep we got you know Vishnuvardhanji you know to make his first Hindi debut
and after that we got Kiara to play Dimple's role so it's been a very long gruesome you
know journey for me, a lot of changes but luckily I’ve been I’ve been the constant and
because I just feel extremely you know passionate about the story to be told especially to the
youth and today getting this kind of love and response is very emotional for me and it’s and
t’s the most valuable thing that I own today it's like gold for me today to get this
kind of love and I think this will this will motivate me for years to come,
for all the films in the future that I have given this much to get this much in return.
And you know like you said like you know the script underwent a lot of changes
over the period of time like since the word go how difficult or easy is it for you
as an actor as well as the script writers you know to get a script right when you’re making a
biopic because there's so much that happens in a person's life so how is the process to zero in
on the instances that you want to bring on the screen because it's just two and a half hours but
the life span for 25 years and there’s so much that happened in it so
could you take us to that process and the challenges based in that?
I think so that was the biggest challenge from word go you know when you meet the family,
when you speak to his comrades, there is so much that Captain. Vikram Batra’s life
has that is so memorable you know whether it's in his commando training, whether it's as a
school even being a table tennis champion, whether it's his friends there so we could not you
know find a route in the first couple of years how to enter the story which way to narrate it
and I think that took the maximum number of time and now finally full credit to you know
Sandeep Srivastava and Vishnu Vardhan our director, Sandeep writer to find a more concised
version of his story where we obviously not giving you every detail of his life but we are
highlighting every aspect of his personality which is which we thought that is will connect
you know for you to understand the soldier that he become you know whether it's the love
story, what he felt like you know he was so unabashedly filmy and charming with his
girlfriend at that time and fiancé or whether how he used to you know behave in front of his
parents and family to give them a news like I want to join Merchant Navy
or whether how he dealt with his comrades so that process we had to go through various
versions of the script. Sandeep Srivastava did a lot of research, met a lot of people you know in
the armed forces took their interviews to get he
His twin brother been a big big part of giving us in that information and research so I think it
stemmed from a lot of research and filmmaking is a very, very weird process there are so
many hands involved in this one dish that we try to make that you’re just hoping that you
know everyone’s energy is an intention match and I think that’s what's so special about
Shershaah that everyone involved their intentions were really to give this film that sense of
respect and show it with good heart and emotion and that really matched so we're really
blessed to have this version you know finally
which the audience is seeing and finally giving so much love.
And you know there is this common thing that I have read on social media about
Shershaah that it was a theatrical experience and you know everyone from the trade, be it the
exhibitors, distributors whom I’ve spoken to they are like this was a big miss for the cinema
because this would have got a lot of audience back and it might have been your biggest
grosser as well in terms of box office are you a little disheartened with the fact that it’s come
on OTT because there is so much potential in terms of theatrical business a film had?
No absolutely after looking at the love and response that coming you know our way on social
media otherwise I know for sure that this would not have disappointed at the box office you
know for the producers or for any of us but that being said we were ready last July to release
we had a release date had a poster we were ready this July and announced it to have a
release we of course shot it keeping the big screen in mind you know the big landscape that
action that we shot there but this is the new norm guys I mean this this for a change
I mean a year and a half to wait for a film which is ready is is a long time and we felt that
today this year we would have released we possibly would not have gotten capacity, full
capacity of our you know screens which would not do justice to the film so do complete
justice to the film we decided that let us bring it to everyone’s homes you know you can
watch it with your family, people can watch it with their family at home in the comfort of their
homes so that was the endeavour I think it's the most safest way and the most practical way
today to make sure that your film reaches everyone I think the reach we would have gotten
we have gotten with Amazon Prime video is nothing close
to what we would have gotten with the theatres.
And Sid you know there is this strong buzz within within the industry that you know you are
looking to you know explore the intense space more after Marjaavaan and now Shershaah,
is there any particular reason for you to slip into that space?
I mean see, I always, people like to slot you and mould you into different different you know
roles in the industry I’ve never let people mould me into one form I’ve always tried if you see
my body of work of the past different bits I’ve never shied away from trying new things you
know so I wouldn't say that this is one zone that I want to concentrate on but I think if you I
would love to be part of films which are inspirational, which are close to reality, which remind
you, which you can relate to you know and possibly learn something from that
film whether it's a sacrifice of love, whether it's sacrifice for the country, whether it entertains
you in a fun way so I think though personally as a movie go I do like action movies so
maybe action thrillers as a movie now but as an actor like even what I’m doing in the future
you know there is a thriller but there's also a fun slice of life film with Indra Kumarji that I’m
doing so yeah I think it varies it's about getting convinced I think that's what's also
Shershaah has taught me that. That the fact that I’m so convinced by Captain. Vikram
Batra’s life and story that it needs to be told you know I’m all charged up and it took so long
to be told I think I need to feel the same for every script whether it’s a comedy film, whether
it's a murder mystery or whether it's an action films it's not about sticking to one genre but
really finding that essence of that story.
And last couple of questions you are entering the world of Indra Kumar and Thank God, how
has that world been because you know he has his own world of cinema
of course there is Ajay Devgn as well but yeah?
Yes as you were speaking that's something that I’m so excited about that’s Indra
Kumar sir or Indra sir also trying to say something so special I mean whenever that film
comes out it's too early to talk about the content of it but it’s a lovely slice of life film
with a lovely message and heart in the end it's a fictitious fantasy film that is unlike his earlier
works as well so I think people will be surprised that Indra sir is doing that you know
it's a lovely message of the film which I love films with great messaging in the end
and it's me and Ajay sir coming together for the first time in a fun film like that so it's a lot of
first in that film and I think people will be surprised it's also something fresh and new I’m
enjoying exploring that bit we’re still shooting the film
so hopefully by next year we should be ready for release.
And one last question has your script selection pattern
changed in any way in the pandemic, through the pandemic?
Well definitely I really like to I like the process of writing I think any all heroes are built
from first writing you know the thought, intention I feel if yes the intention was to always
concentrate now after Shershaah will be even much more to concentrate on those content of
writing and hopefully find that one thing you know which can inspire people what is
the film trying to say yeah I think it's not changed but I feel that's always been constant but
now when people are seeing an end result like Shershaah it will be easier you know to show
them as to what I mean and what the intention behind me doing the film is.
And are you open for OTT, like OTT series because a lot of actors are doing?
Well yeah again of course I think you know we’ve all in the lockdown seen so much content
OTT, this is my OTT debut as with a film and it's Amazon original and it's got the kind of
response I’ve got from people all over the world, every continent people are sending love
online and sending you snippets and noticing some small detail thing because they can at
home it's a great experience yes if I find a character you know which is very interesting
which I don't get to do in movies and I get to do an OTT series I’ll be very excited of course.
Thank you so much Sid it was lovely talking to you.
And looking forward to all the other films and congratulations again.
Thank you, thank you so much. That’s so sweet.
I am really happy you and your family enjoyed the film.
And thank you so much. It was lovely chat. Thank you.