Sidharth Malhotra says his first film was shelved, director went on to work with ‘bigger actor’

Sidharth Malhotra, who made his Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year in 2012, revealed that it was not the first film he signed. He was originally supposed to be launched by another director in a different film but the project never took off.

After the film got shelved, Sidharth worked as an assistant director to Karan on My Name Is Khan, and likened the experience of being on the set to ‘film school training’.

In an interview with radio host Siddharth Kannan, Sidharth said, “I came to Bombay when I was 20-21 years old. At that time, I was supposed to do a particular film with a different production house, different director. Unhone bulaya, casting kari, audition hua. Maine picture ki taiyaari kari, takreeban 6-8 mahine wait karta raha, picture kabhi shuru nahi hui (I was cast after being called in for an audition. I prepped for the film and waited for 6-8 months, but the project never took off). That director went on to make a film with another bigger actor, obviously so.”

Sidharth said that he felt ‘completely lost’, as he was young and had no contacts in Mumbai. “You start over again. You are trying to wonder how to learn and understand the business. Uss time pe yeh decision lena ya kisise sunna ki assistant direction koi cheez hoti hai, aadmi set pe aa sakta hai, seekh sakta hai (At that time, to become an assistant director and learn by being on a film set), was I think a game-changer for me. I am very grateful to get an opportunity to be on set as an AD because that was the film school training that I never had,” he added.

Currently, Sidharth is gearing up for the release of Shershaah, in which he plays Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra. The film, which also stars Kiara Advani, will be out on Amazon Prime Video on August 12, three days before Independence Day.