Double trouble for Sidharth in A Gentleman

By Asjad Nazir

THIS week’s big Bollywood release A Gentleman is a high kicking action comedy, which sees Sidharth Malhotra play two contrasting roles. The rising star plays a domesticated guy wanting to settle down and an all action hero ready to do battle. He stars opposite Jacqueline Fernandez in director duo Raj and DK’s colourful film.

The in demand young actor took a break from a shooting schedule for the film Aiyaary and met Eastern Eye at a central London hotel. He spoke about A Gentleman, his female fan base, action, pole dancing and more.

You are still a relative newcomer, but there are very high expectations around you. Does that put pressure on you?

It depends what kind of pressure, Asjad. Pressure to give a great performance, yes of course. To do justice to the character and convince people, definitely, but apart from that no. I think there are so many aspects involved in making a film successful that you can’t take solo credit or pressure for it.

You don’t come from a film family like many young stars. Have you got used to the emotional roller coaster of the film industry yet?

I think that was one of the things coming from the outside world, I had to learn about. I grew up in Delhi and came to Mumbai to become an actor. I worked behind the camera as an assistant director and that was my introduction. I saw how people conduct themselves in the industry. Once you are in it then it’s a different story altogether. So I would say yes it has taken a little while, but you understand that it is a part of this industry. Not every film will be accepted the way you want it to be.

You have made amazing progress.

Having said that I have a lot of gratitude for all the good films and stories that I have been part of. Looking back on the journey that I came from, all this is exciting and a very happy phase. I am enjoying my work a lot. I am doing the work that I want to. I am doing all different kinds of stories. It’s not one particular genre. So that keeps it very exciting for me as an actor.

You are in demand. What did you like about A Gentleman?

I think it had a mix of all the kinds of films I like. It is a very entertaining film. It’s got a lot of comedy, it has action, which I like to do and romance with Jacqueline. So these three aspects are what I like to watch in a movie. It is packaged in an entertaining and stylised way. I think it’s a complete entertainer in an action comedy done in a slightly more contemporary way.

From the trailer it looks like you are just having fun.

(Laughs) Yes exactly and that is how the entire set was. Raj and DK, the directors are unique themselves. They are audience turned directors who had different jobs before. They graduated over the years from smaller features to this big film. That is why their take on everything is very unique and very funny. Yes the film looks extremely relaxed and fun. We are really happy to present it to the audience and worked hard on it.

What can you tell us about your characters in the film?

I am playing two very distinct characters in the film. One is Gaurav and the other is Rishi, which was very interesting. The film is also a very interesting take on the double role. It is not your typical double role film. Gaurav is a completely domesticated character, who loves to cook and dreams of starting a family. He has a perfect job and has already bought a minivan because he wants to have kids.

Rishi on the other hand is the slightly more aggressive brooding guy who knows how to handle himself in a fight and does interesting stunts. So they were distinctly different. We didn’t go for a visual difference, but more for personality traits. I enjoyed all the thrills I got from doing Rishi’s character and enjoyed most of the humour that emerged out of Gaurav’s role. It was very interesting for me to play a guy who is so domesticated.

How do you as an actor keep those two contrasting characters separate?

That is where the directors come in. We shot one character at a time and not both on the same day so it was interesting how they were separated and it was fun. The challenge of playing the two was one of the aspects of choosing this film, where I get to play two shades in the same film. How their worlds collide and the comedy that comes out of it.

You have been very lucky with the leading ladies you have worked with. How does Jacqueline Fernandez compare to the others?

(Laughs) Yes I have been lucky in that regard. Jacky was such an exciting and entertaining colleague to have on set because she is just always happy. She always brings out her best mood when working. I have never seen her stressed out or in a negative mood, which is something I envy. We shot this film over a long period of time and we bonded on various different aspects including fitness. She is extremely fit. I kept pulling her leg on learning pole dancing, how I was a big fan and if I could come admire and watch. (Laughs) One day I met her trainer and found it extremely difficult to do, so I have loads of respect for all the girls who can do this with Jacqueline being one of them. Trust me guys its not easy.

So you tried pole dancing?

I really did try, but couldn’t manage it. The pole is very slippery so you need to use your skin and strength to hold onto it. So all the guys would have to get into some skimpy clothes if they wanted to do it, but I didn’t. (Laughs) I was wearing regular jeans and a t-shirt so I kept slipping off and just couldn’t do it.

Ladies reading this will now have vivid images.

(Laughs) I will leave that to the ladies.

Where does the A Gentleman title come from?

It is inspired by Gaurav’s character, who is essentially a nice guy, which was the original working title Raj and DK had for this film. Then we went from ‘a nice guy’ to A Gentleman. Then we came up with the tagline, sundar, susheel, risky. You would describe Gaurav’s character as sundar and susheel. He fits in for a matrimonial advert for a mother. Then there is the risky angle with Rishi. So it all came together.

Whose character can you relate to more, the risk taking Rishi or the domesticated Gaurav?

I think Rishi because I enjoy adventure sports and like getting out. I don’t know if I can beat up so many people, but I can pretend to. Gaurav is too domesticated for me. It was very funny and interesting for me to play because he loves to cook and is excited about the grill and microwave oven in his house. Like I said he drives a minivan because he is planning a family. His dream is to buy the perfect four bedroom house in Miami with a back yard even though he lives alone. So that took some getting used to.

What are your cooking skills like in real life?

(Laughs) I can’t cook at all. I can just about boil eggs. When I stayed in Mumbai on my own I managed to figure out how to make rice in the microwave. I used to mix up the water levels – sometimes it would be extra and other times not enough. At that time it didn’t matter and we would chew on whatever came out. I used to boil things a lot because I felt that was the easiest way to cook, but it didn’t taste that good. Luckily now I can afford someone who can cook for me.

What type of action movies do you like watching?

I love seeing action on the big screen, I think just to see stuff that you can’t do in real life is great and the big screen is made for spectacles like that. I like so many like the Mission Impossible series or the James Bond movies. Recently I really liked Baby Driver, which had an element of thrill and fun to it. So I like that kind of action. A Gentleman is my attempt at doing something like that. I think it’s our interesting take in India to bring an action comedy genre, which is more skewed to how Hollywood looks at it.

A Gentleman is framed like a Hollywood film, but would you act in one? It is all subject to content. None of the male actors have translated to good lead roles there because of the casting options. But if there is a script that requires a character to be played from a different culture or ethnicity and he has got a meaty part then why not? I think the world is becoming really small.

A lot of ladies told me to tell you they love you. Have you got used to your big female fan base?

No I will never get used to that. I grew up in Delhi and lived a very normal life for the first 20 years of my life. I came to Mumbai and by the age of 25 was a working actor, so it is all still very recent for me. I don’t know how to react. I feel a lot of gratitude and am extremely happy with where I am today and where I maybe wanted to be 10 years ago, the opportunities I have got, the work I have done, the people that I have met. I’m living the dream and am happy about it.

What qualities do you most like in a girl?

I don’t think it is one specific quality. I don’t have like a point sheet in my head to tick off. It is purely instinct based. I am very instinctive when it comes to energy or a conversation. Definitely it is the conversations and her mindset. I get turned on by personality and not by looks.

Why should we watch A Gentleman?

It is a two-hour entertaining film with a lot of thrill, action, romance with Jacqueline and a lot of comedy. Come and enjoy watching an entertaining Hindi film with a twist.

A Gentleman is in cinemas now