Sidharth Malhotra: Whether makers have tapped into my talent or not is subject to film-to-film, and the audience

He has quite a variety on his plate right now, and Sidharth Malhotra is only too happy about it. While he recently started shooting for a comedy — Thank God with Ajay Devgn — his thriller Mission Majnu also went on floors.

The actor says he likes to mix up genres, and on whether he’s got enough opportunities to prove his talent till date, he adds, “I love watching both light-hearted films where you get a nice message or action thrillers. Whether the makers have tapped into my talent or not is subject to film-to-film and the audience. I think there should be more concentration on the stories first and then definitely the execution, because if either of them falters, then the projects don’t work. So yes, I am excited about both these films and their genres and definitely the filmmakers that have come on board.”

Talking more about it, Malhotra says he is indeed “satisfied, happy and excited” as a creative person and as an actor today.

“Inder (Kumar, director) ji has done an immense amount of light-hearted films and he too is doing a new avatar with Thank God, with me, Ajay, and Rakul (Preet Singh). Mission Majnu is a great, inspiring story of India’s history and it is being helmed by a very experienced ad filmmaker,” says the 36-year-old.

Malhotra had stepped out for work before these two films as well, to finish some patch work for his next, Shershah. About his experience getting back on set amid the Covid 19 scare, the actor shares, “I didn’t step out during the extreme time of the pandemic, we were all following the lockdown and working from home, whatever we could. Luckily touchwood I’ve not been directly affected by the virus, but I’m kind of beyond apprehensions. One can do a lot to keep their immunity up, have a good lifestyle, a great diet and keep your body clean, something which I anyway believe in, hence I’m not so Covid paranoid, but that being said people need to take all precautions because I am taking them too, I’m not being foolish.”

2020 as a year was a tough one for everyone, and more so for the film industry, with even work from home not possible for pending projects. The actor is sad that a lot of people lost their lives.

“There was a lot of confusion as to where and how this pandemic is spreading, what are the precautions to take, how can it spread. So, I think yes, I was amongst all of you who was confused and worried and I was taking the necessary precautions. Work came secondary, as at one particular point everyone’s work got stuck but yes if we talk about today now, entertainment business is still yet to come back,” he says.

Getting the audiences back to theatres safely is what’s on the industry’s mind, Malhotra opines. “As a film person or even as an audience it is something of concern, that you hope you can find a safe way to get people to the theatres, which I think we do have. I think the worst is over, and we are looking forward to this year and coming back to the movies and theatres to entertain people,” he concludes.