From assisting filmmaker Karan Johar on "My Name Is Khan" to debuting with his film "Student Of The Year" and then starring in critically and commercially successful films like "Hasee Toh Phasee", "Ek Villain" and "Kapoor & Sons", actor Sidharth Malhotra has really come a long way in his career. Malhotra was last seen in "Baar Baar Dekho" which failed to tug the right chord with the audience. Not perturbed by the failure of the film, the handsome hunk is now busy promoting his upcoming film "A Gentleman" wherein he is paired opposite Jacqueline Fernandez. During one of his promotional interview sessions, our correspondent sits down with Sidharth for a freewheeling chat.

Who is Siddharth Malhotra in real life?

I am a mixture of three - Sunder, Susheel and Risky. Nobody is one particular thing. One question is not enough for a lifetime to know me.

How is Jacqueline Fernandez as a co-star?

She is one of the nicest co-stars I have ever met. She is always in a positive mood and when she is around the sets her mood certainly affects yours. She is infectious. We share a great friendship and the fact that both of us get along is evident from the trailer of the film.

You play two different characters Gaurav and Rishi. Was it difficult for you to switch between the two?

This is the first time I am playing two different characters. You have to understand the difference between the two characters, keep them alive. Giving not much on the story,  I would like to say that it is not a typical double role film. The two characters are so different. One is extremely sober and the other is aggressive. It was fun to play two roles in the same film. There is more work for an actor.

Which of them do you relate the most?

I think I am definitely not Gaurav. He is very ambitious.  His dreams are very ordeal. He is an NRI and he goes to a 9-5 job. He knows to cook. He has a very secure life with everything set. He has a minivan in for his family, a house. I couldn’t relate to that. Rishi, I like more as he is aggressive, jumps of the building with leather jackets and all.

Did you train yourself for the action sequences shown in the movie?

I did take a lot of training for the action. A French choreographer Siril Raffire trained me for the action. He trained me in a lot of hand-to-hand combat, a lot of action. I have scars for this kind of film and that is going to stay for life. I had a lot of bruises and scars. But I enjoyed it thoroughly. It is a part and parcel of doing an action film where injuries keep happening.

What kind of changes did you bring about in your physicality?

I just lost a few kilos. I got fitter but there was no major transformation. We had tacos to make it look fitter and leaner. I took like 6 months of the training. We shot body shots in Mumbai and Goa. It was a bit difficult but then I hope people like the physicality of the character.

The action in the film looks sleek. How was your experience shooting for it?

The action in our film is real and there is nothing larger than life. There is no substitute. All the action is done by me, standing on the of the 60 storeyed building or punching. I think we have kept it little more real. If I fall down in the film there are reactions of pain which are real. There is no anti gravity action and whatever it is, the authenticity is maintained to the core.

Apart from action, there is also a comedy element in it and with comedy being considered as a difficult genre, how did you go about it?

In this, it became easier as it was already written in the script. The characters don’t make a  deliberate attempt to make people laugh. When you perform for a comedy film, it doesn’t mean you have to be serious. So it's more contemporary kind of film.

Three songs in the movie are released. Which one is your favourite?

I love the song “Bandook Meri  Laila”. If you have heard it in the trailer, you would know. Sachin-Jigar has done a great job and I love the track to the core. It is very upbeat and lifts up your mood instantly. I have rapped in it for the first time.

You showcased your dancing skills in every movie. Do you consciously choose such movies?

I love dancing a lot. I like Hindi movie dancing a lot. The film requires it and people totally enjoy it. Be it "Kala Chasma" which is an upbeat song or any other song of mine. I love to explore my dancing skills to a great extent. Chandralekha is one song where I have explored my dancing potential to the best. I'm only the one dancing and Jacqueline is doing the pole dancing and was totally mesmerized by it.

How do you react to the link-up rumours with your co-stars? 

I am always ok with it. Apart from Akshay Kumar, we are linked to all of them. I feel bad for Akshay Kumar.

The industry lately is seeing a lot of double role characters in films. Do you really feel there is a need for “Judwaa” characters?

My film has set the ball rolling. But it’s not only about the dual characters, there is a lot more to it. You will know it when you watch the film. It is not a fair comparison because when you talk about the other films which have a lot of confusion but here it is a case of mistaken identity. Once you see the film, you will be in a better position to compare. It is an out and out action film that stands out.

Your last film “Baar Baar Dekho” unfortunately did not do well. Do you have any kind of pre release jitters for "A Gentleman"?

It’s just like a bad day at work. You come from outside and want to make it big in the city.  When things don’t  go my way, it kind of charges me up much more to do better. Having said that, it makes you work much harder. I generally believe I am just competing with myself. But I am pretty gung-ho and excited about this film.