Shershaah actor Sahil Vaid: I was reluctant and thought my role was very small

Having starred in films such as Dil Bechara, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and now Shershaah, Sahil Vaid feels “at home” in the film industry and add to that one controversy.

The actor claims he was misquoted in one of his recent interviews as saying he “regrets” doing such a small role in Shershaah. But he clarifies that he never said that. Talking to us, he says, “Yes, I thought the role was very small initially, but when I read the script, met the director (Vishnu Vardhan), I had no second thoughts, it was a no brainer.”

But having built a repertoire of films over the years, was he okay taking up a role with this amount of screen space?

“That’s exactly why I used the word ‘reluctant’. When I found out the story, I had to be a part of this film,” says Vaid, adding, “A lot of people at the production house helped me in believing this is great, because there are some characters that you just have to do as an actor. Sunny (his character in the film, who is late Captain Vikram Batra’s best friend) was a real guy, and he was there at the shoot in Palampur, behind the monitor. He said I’ve done complete justice to the role.”

The 34-year-old believes that ego should be kept aside for important roles such as these. In fact, he adds that he has seen bigger names associating themselves with Shershaah for the love they have for the Armed forces.

Looking back at this acting journey so far in films, Vaid would like to believe it has been pretty smooth.

“Blockbuster films and one controversy later, I feel like home — very welcomed by the industry, and people I’ve worked with some amazing people. I’ve come to believe that it’s also necessary for actors to keep doing what they’re doing. A lot of times, names who’ve been huge, have kind of stopped working and say, ‘Ab chhote roles nahi karne, want to do big roles’. They keep telling me that’s what was kind of their end in the industry, and they were out looking for work,” concludes Vaid, who’ll next be seen in Satyameva Jayate 2.