Why Siddhant Chaturvedi Refused Karan Johar's Production, And Was "Blacklisted" (image @SiddyChats)
Siddhant Chaturvedi has climbed the ladders of fame with his ardent performances. The star impressed the audiences in the series Inside Edge and the movies like Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Gully Boy, and Gehraiyaan. Starting off on his passion for acting in theatres, Siddhant knows well what he wants and is capable of. He is not ready to “short-sell” himself at any cost.
The star even refused role in Brahmastra, a Karan Johar production, and Ayan Mukherji’s directorial – one hell of launch for a debutant to set foot in the B-Town. He was even offered a three-film contract with Johar’s Dharma Production, which he refused.
In a recent interview with Humans of Bombay, Siddhant recalled how his father discouraged him from signing the film. His father asked him not to ‘sell his destiny’.
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He said, “They were still writing the script, and I was excited. I could have done it as well, but my father wouldn’t have let me. ‘You are better than this,’ he says, even till today he pushes me. I was elated that I will be getting a three-film contract with Dharma. I met Ayan, who showed me his vision of Brahmastra. I had only done a handful of ads by then, so I was a nobody. I told my father the film has Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan and he asked me, ‘Toh tujhe kaun dekhega (so, who will notice you)?’ He said, ‘Nahi beta, I don’t think you should do it. Do you have the script, have you auditioned for it? If you don’t even know what you are going to do in that film, don’t sell your destiny.'”
Eventually, Siddhant made his Bollywood debut in Zoya Akhtar’s Ranveer Singh starrer Gully Boy, in which he captured the audiences and critics’ attention with his performance as the rapper MC Sher. He also won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, Zee Cine Award and Screen Award for Best Male Debut. The 2019 musical drama, based on the lives of Indian street rappers DIVINE and Naezy, went on to be a critical and commercial success. The film earned Rs 140 crore net in India and grossed Rs 235 crore worldwide.
Also Read: Video: Shah Rukh Khan Teaches Abhishek Banerjee, Siddhant Chaturvedi ‘Next Generation Respect’
Siddhant added that he was blacklisted from industry after rejecting multiple films. “The problem wasn’t that I had no offers, but I knew I only wanted to be a hero, to do leading parts. I will act, I have worked hard on my craft, but I wanted to create a big splash. I had gotten shortlisted for a lot films, which I turned down saying I don’t think this can do justice to what I think I will be. I was blacklisted, because people thought, ‘Who this person is saying no?’; I refused to play side characters, because I knew my potential was a lot. I didn’t want to short-sell myself”, Siddhant concluded.
Born on April 29, 1993 in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia, Siddhant moved to Mumbai with his family when he was just 5. While studying in Mithibai College, he started acting in theatre and plays. After winning a popular fresh face contest, Siddhant left his final CA exams and pursuing film.
The Gehraiyaan star is now bracing up for the release of Yudhra, a mass action thriller. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, the film also stars Malavika Mohanan, Raghav Juyal, Ram Kapoor, and Raj Arjun in key roles. Yudhra is slated to hit silver screen on September 20th.
