'I don't need to wait for work to find me. I can find stories that excite me and make them myself.'
Key Points
- Siddharth underwent extensive training with IAF veterans, some of whom served in Operation Safed Sagar, to ensure authenticity in his portrayal of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
- The actor found the detailed and inspiring script, along with Director Oni Sen's guidance, crucial for vanishing into the character of a venerable war hero.
- Having produced films since 2012, Siddharth plans to continue finding and making stories that excite him, rather than waiting for work.
In Netflix's military drama series Operation Safed Sagar, Siddharth slips into the role of real life Indian Air Force hero Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
Directed by Oni Sen, the show focuses on the historical Golden Arrows Squadron during the 1999 Kargil War and is getting rave reviews.
"I'm just hoping to be a better actor with each outing and to learn or attempt something that's new to me," Siddharth tells Subhash K Jha.
Operation Safed Sagar sees you as an air force officer. How much prep went into the part?
I play a young squadron leader training a group of younger pilots. The IAF was part of this project from the start. We were trained by veterans, some who have served during Operation Safed Sagar in 1999.
Every shot, action and dialogue has gone through them to maintain authenticity. It was a very exciting prep that was new to me as I've never played a fighter pilot before.
'The more detailed and inspiring the writing, the easier it becomes to get there'
How do you condition yourself into vanishing into a character?
Every character needs work, in order to separate it from my real world self.
The more detailed and inspiring the writing, the easier it becomes to get there.
Abhijeet Parmar and Kushal Srivastava had done so much research before writing these characters and their script gave me a strong foundation. It was also highly motivating in this case because I was playing the war hero, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
Of course, actors need directors, and Oni Sen is a very sensitive, hands-on director. I am very grateful for him.
'I have four releases in the next six months'
Operation Safed Sagar sees you venture into the digital platform. How different is the experience as compared with a feature film?
Long format is very gratifying for actors as it gives us more room to play and more depth to explore than a conventional feature length film.
Tamil cinema, like the rest of Indian cinema, seems to be undergoing a lot of churning. Do you find it difficult to zero on projects that suit your sensibility?
I've been producing films since 2012. My last production Chithha showed me that I don't need to wait for work to find me. I can find stories that excite me and make them myself.
Which among your films do you consider as gamechangers?
I'm just hoping to be a better actor with each outing and to learn or attempt something that's new to me. What happens after release is not in my hands, so I don't take results too seriously.
What are your plans for the coming months?
I have four releases in the next six months. Two of them are in Hindi, one in Tamil, and one is my American debut. There's lots of promotion work coming up!
I'm also filming four projects in three languages over the next year, one of which is a home production.
I'm in a very grateful place, and excitedly curious to see what the next year holds for me.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
