I Was Tired Of Doing Romantic Movies: Siddharth

Siddharth is gearing up for the release of his film Takkar, directed by Karthik G Krish and co-starring Divyansha, Yogi Babu and Abimanyu Singh. While the actor is trying to reinvent himself with each film, essaying different roles, the shadow of his characters from the celebrated romantic films of the 2000s looms over him. Speaking about the longevity of films like Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005) and Bommarillu (2006), and their influence on his career, Siddhart says, "I fared well in romantic films because I believe that the female lead plays a prominent role in them. As far as romantic films are concerned, they have a longer life span for characters. In other films, you remember the hero, while in love stories, you remember the characters." 

He goes on to add, "However, as an actor, I was tired of doing romantic films. I wanted to do something different every day instead of just exploring relationships in films. When there is a relationship in a film, it should be unique," he shares, adding that Takkar has a unique love story. "In Takkar, the boy and the girl are way different from each other. But when they meet, there is combustion, chemistry, and spontaneity. That’s what is unique about this film. Karthik is a director who creates unique commercial moments; he thinks for the big screen."

Answering the question about how he judges a filmmaker and chooses a script, Siddharth says, "After Boys (2003), I was asked how would I pick my next film. Even today, I have the same answer to this question. I think of three questions when I listen to a script. First, do I want to watch the story if it’s made into a film? Second, do I see myself doing a good job as an actor? Third, will I learn something new by doing this film?". Siddharth followed this three-point rule while choosing the script of Takkar. “Is it a film I want to see? Hell yes. Will I suit this film? I think I’m really good at it but you have to see the film and each individual will have an opinion. And the third thing, I have learned a ton of new things from this film; be it performing action with a Vietnamese stunt crew or a car chase sequence, these are new to me.”

Siddharth, who produced Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi (2012), Jil Jung Juk (2016) and Aval (2017), opines that a director’s indecisiveness is the biggest adversary to the filmmaking process. "From the time we start making a film and release it, we have new films releasing every Friday and new trends emerging. A filmmaker must never be influenced by the trends and hits that occur every weekend. I believe in originality and like filmmakers who stick to their convictions," he says.

Elaborating on Takkar and why he believes it is different from what he has done so far, "Takkar is a pure mainstream commercial film; it checks all the boxes of a theatrical film. Takkar has action, comedy, romance, and songs, and it is made for theatres. There's an adrenaline rush, and I wouldn’t miss watching Takkar in theatres," he signs off.