Siddharth More Pics
Siddharth, 33, is an optimist and grew up being a linguist. He considers doing South films his job and Bollywood, his hobby. The actor-writer-singer and producer hopes to turn director some day. Ahead of his upcoming release 'Chashme Baddoor', he talks TOI about the superiority complex of Bollywood, his readiness for marriage and why Mani Ratnam will always remain his boss. Excerpts:
How did you get into films?
Born in Chennai, I am a Tamilian. I grew up in Chennai and Delhi. My father retired after working in Nestle for 37 years. Right from my childhood, my mother exposed me to a lot of music and films from across the world and I grew up wanting to be in films. Even though I had a happy childhood, I am not too nostalgic about it and was in a hurry to grow up. As children, you are not allowed to do what you want to. So, I was happy to be older as I could do what I wanted to. I was not too happy with my school life as the academic pressure on kids in Chennai is too high and I was happiest when I went to college. I went to college without an agenda. I went to school to just get out of school. My parents have always allowed me to be myself and are the best parents you can have. There were no beliefs enforced on me and they are both my friends, but wanted me to complete my education. I completed my management and managed to reach Mani Ratnam through email. He met me and even though I had no formal training and had just done theatre in Delhi, he acted on his instinct and hired me as his assistant director at 21, replacing Shaad Ali.
Are there are differences between the South film industry and Bollywood?
As a country, we really encourage mediocrity and we cherish it. We like to insulate ourselves fromthe rest of the world. People who prevent good work from happening are usually the people in power and that is the tragedy. I am not particularly fond of numbers, but in Bollywood, you will not see a small budget film doing 100 crores unlike in Chennai, where I am proud of the independent films being made with small budgets and sometimes without stars. And they still do well. While independent cinema is finally getting a voice in Bollywood, the numbers are small. The quality of films in Tamil is far better than Bollywood. Production value is not about making a film look pretty. Tamil cinema is far more realistic and the good thing is that even the common audience watches it.
In contrast, there is so little evidence of the front bencher watching good cinema in Bollywood. People are used to seeing films that have no relevance to their life and remains a medium of escape. When you make a film because another film did well, then that's the death of cinema. In Bollywood, films are made by watching films and not by watching life. We have a billion people, but only one way to watch a film. Marketing is fantastic in Bollywood. As stars in the South, we don't see as much promotion. People understand the making of the product better in the South and they understand marketing better in Bollywood.
What's your motivation for being a part of David Dhawan's Chashme Baddoor?
I am doing a Hindi film not because I want to further my film career here. I couldn't be bothered. I have no reason to come here and fight for a film. I am doing it only as David is a friend of mine and was wanting to work with me for five years. Also, I needed a break and wanted to take some time off. And the only way I could take the break while working is with David Dhawan. I do films that give me creative satisfaction, but I can do a Chashme Baddoor to be with friends, have fun and recharge my batteries. South Indian films is my job, Hindi cinema is my hobby.
Are there things about Bollywood you don't like?
It is an old prejudice that Bollywood has, about their willingness to take from the South but not willing to acknowledge it. The standard Bollywood mindset thinks of itself on top of the Indian film chain and that they are only below Hollywood. I refuse to let anybody else's superiority complex to become the truth. Mumbai's problem is that they assume that if some one has done a Hindi film they will want to move to Mumbai and do Bollywood. In reality, when you see stardom in one place, you don't want to become a newcomer at another place. You have no idea how much fame and money we make down South. We need to crossover within our country.
Are there are people responsible for your success in the film industry?
We are always in a hurry to figure out who our roles models for our youngsters are or whom they resemble. I want to be the best of myself. I have been lucky working with people who I grew up watching like Mani Ratnam and whom I have worked closely with. Had I not started with him, I would have been different. He is my boss and teacher and his obsession with the craft and the process of making films consumes you. He is an enigma and a private person in public. Those who don't know him will never know him and those who do know him, do so in a special way. I have worked with accomplished people at regular intervals. I am a greedy person and have learnt from everyone including David Dhawan who, even after having made 41 films, has this childlike enthusiasm working with newcomers.
Why have you always been silent about your affairs?
I speak to my family and friends. As it is, it is a difficult thing to make a relationship work. It is even more difficult to make a relationship work when you are in this business. And it is most difficult to make it work when every one is commenting on it. It is human decency to let people lead their personal lives. And I genuinely don't want to share my personal life with people whom I don't want to share it with. You can be my biggest fan, but that still does not give you the right over my personal life. You buy a film ticket; if you like the film, tell ten people. If you don't like the film, you will anyways tell a 100 people not to watch the film. I don't believe that a true fan deserves to know every personal detail about the star.
Do you see yourself getting married?
Absolutely. And I am ready for it. I hope to have a family with children and am hoping it happens soon. I have been written about with a lot of women. I have chosen not to respond. My family does not read gossip rags and what is in the paper today is the packing for a pakoda tomorrow. You can attribute a quote to a person without meeting him. The inverted comma is being molested beyond identity.
Editor's note: We could say two things for sure. One, the girl Siddharth is seeing is not Tamannah, and two, it is for sure Samantha. We eagerly await the marriage :-)
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