Sidharth Malhotra recalls longing for inspirational stories; explains his definition of “pure victory”

Ahead of the release of Mission Majnu, actor Sidharth Malhotra opens up about his take on making stories.

January 16, 2023 - 9:16 PM IST

Sidharth Malhotra marked his debut on the big screen in 2012, and since then, there is no going back for the actor. With films like Hasee Toh Phasee, Shershaah and more, he managed to carve a niche for himself. Sidharth, who turned 38 today, was longing for making inspiring cinema that will be remembered. Ahead of the release of his next film, Mission Majnu, the birthday boy spoke about his acting journey.

Sidharth Malhotra recalls longing for inspirational stories; explains his definition of “pure victory”

It all happened during his conversation with PTI, where Malhotra stated that the blockbuster success of Shershaah gave him the confidence to be part of “inspiring” stories that are remembered beyond their box office run. “The beauty of any piece of art is that nobody knows at what time it will resonate with the audience. But the intention, to make cinema which will be remembered, needs to be there,” the actor told the news agency.

While citing examples of megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath and Rajkumar Santoshi-directed Andaz Apna Apna, Sidharth asserted “I think any actor’s profession cannot be judged at present. It’s years later, when someone comes up to me and remembers my second film, third film, some scene, some emotion… That is pure victory.”

Speaking of Shershaah, the 38-year-old actor said, “In Shershaah, I was the force behind it right from the beginning. Not to take anything away from the director and writer, but I was involved in all the processes… When something like that clicks and people resonate with your thought process… That gives confidence. This is what I was longing for, to make stories which will be inspiring and will be remembered.”

As the conversation progressed further, Sidharth also discussed Mission Majnu and asserted, “I found it fascinating that it is inspired by true events and yet it is fictionalised for obvious reasons, because we do not know about these missions. It gives an insight into how a spy works in another country on their own while on a mission in an entertaining and interesting way… So I found it a complete film, with elements of true story, thrill and romance.”

He went on to elaborate, “Maybe it is because I come from an army background that I like to portray such heroic characters. But I also feel it is imperative to showcase the efforts that our forces make, whether it is the armed forces or secret service, to protect the borders of the country.”

In addition, he also talked about his love for the action genre and mentioned, “I’ve always divided into action as a genre. Starting from Ek Villain, where he is motivated to fight for love. It is basically the emotion that I really like… I think it’s the shift of that emotion. I’m drawn to it personally and find it exciting. But it is more important that the audience find it exciting.”

Coming back to his upcoming release, Mission Majnu, the film will also feature Rashmika Mandanna. It is releasing on Netflix on January 20.

Also Read: Sidharth Malhotra wanted Mission Majnu to be Rashmika’s debut Bollywood movie