'I've a commitment phobia': Sidharth Malhotra

F rom ruthless days of struggle to sweet success, it's been a dramatic shift for Sidharth Malhotra. The actor has gone through a transformation of sorts. He's flashing more confidence than ever, his words are no longer weighed and his body language spells triumph. He's had his share of media blitzkrieg and controversies but he has stood firm through it all. The once introvert lad is raring to go. On one hand Ek Villain has proved to be a winner at the box-office, on the other, he's dabbling with different genres like Karan Malhotra's Brothers and Vikramaditya Motwane's Bhavesh Joshi. To top it, he's got all the female attention in the world. But he knows better than to take his focus off work. He's diligent, honest but still more reticent than the average movie star. Quiz him about matters of the heart and his face changes colour. Yet, he retains a composure that calms even those around him. Excerpts from a cool interview:

You've changed the perception that models cannot be good actors.
Yes. People tend to judge you from your background. If you look at Hasee Toh Phasse (HTP), the character of the boy wasn't so complex on paper. There weren't so many layers to him. But still people liked it which shows how an actor can change what is written on paper and go beyond that. In my first film, Student Of The Year (SOTY), they felt it was all about looking good, neat hair, swanky clothes, high speed shots... Sometimes audiences get so engrossed in the gloss and glamour that they believe we're not performing at all. Even Varun (Dhawan) and Alia (Bhatt) have been conscious of this. We are trying to break that. I'm trying more because I'm not from this world and because I come from a modelling background. In HTP, my attempt was to look non-glamorous. In Ek Villain I didn't work on my complexion and even had a scar on my face. I took effort to make myself look the part.

Doesn't sex-appeal work in your favour?
Of course it does! But it's a double-edged sword. For me it was important to look a certain way, or else they don't take you seriously as an actor. But it was a struggle to break that myth and prove that I can emote in different ways.

It must be reassuring to have good projects in your kitty.
Destiny has played an important role. Even after SOTY, I didn't think people would cast me to play a character like Guru, which demanded so much aggression, action... A sequel to a film like Ek Villain would be the Karan Malhotra film, Brothers, which is a remake of Warrior. My character is a fighter, a man who has angst towards his father and struggles with his brother. Then there's another film, Bhavesh Joshi, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. Here, I play a regular boy.

It's said you are seen more in the gym these days than at the dining table.
Earlier, as an AD (assistant director) I used to crib about not being able to go to the gym. My first AD, Karan Malhotra, who has become my director today, would say, What's the need to go to the gym? This is the time to work on the film!' And today he's the one forcing me to attend the gym because he wants me to gain weight for Brothers. We were laughing about this the other day. Now he checks on me whether I've been to the gym or not. He keeps sending me references of how he wants me to look.

Are you okay playing the second lead to Akshay Kumar in Brothers now that you've given a solo hero hit?
This decision was taken earlier. But the good thing about remaking originals is you know what you're going in for. Even though Karan has reworked the script, the crux remains the same. All my films have had other prominent characters. In HTP, Parineeti's character had more layers than mine. In Ek Villain Shraddha's and Riteish's character had more complexity to delve into. The old-school attitude ki main hero hoon toh mujhe itna screen time milna chahiye, is pass. Nobody's good in a bad film. If the film is good, everyone becomes good. But I will never be good in a bad film. That is my logic. Brothers is a great film and Akshay Kumar is a great cast for the lead. As an audience, I'd be excited to see how both of us will perform. He's known for martial arts and that will add to the film.

How different are you from your peers, Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan?
All of us are unique. Ek Villain makes me unique just like Two States made Arjun or Main Tera Hero and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania highlighted Varun's uniqueness. Success brings a sense of acceptance. This is an age of competition, right from school and college to auditions... I'm sure Varun and Arjun both have experienced it. We've come to terms with it in a cool way. We wish each other well, we're amicable. The younger lot is casual and friendly. We even pull each other's legs. We have a great sense of humour too. Wish people would appreciate that. Today the number of films has increased, the screens have increased, monies are huge. Everyone has enough work to do. In the future we might even do a film together because of our camaraderie.

So where does the competition lie?
The challenge is about not getting stuck in one zone. Competition lies in how each of us can make it entertaining and still do different stuff. If we keep doing the same things, we'll not survive. That's why after Ek Villain I'm doing different films like Brothers and Bhavesh Joshi.

Reportedly, you had issues with Aditya Roy Kapur and also got into a fight with Varun Dhawan?
Yes, I read that too. But that's not true. I wish people checked with us before writing. Aditya and I discussed these reports. In fact, we socialise a lot. After reading the story about my fight with Varun, we tried to have a mock fight and abuse each other. But we burst out laughing.

Have you changed post stardom?
I haven't changed but my lifestyle has. I'm not complaining about the hassles of not being able to move around freely. I'm not a party animal. I still prefer hanging out with my friends from Delhi, sticking to an intimate circle rather than being at a social gathering. My thinking hasn't changed. It will be years before I change for the better or the worse.

Will you ever refuse a Karan Johar film if you don't agree with the script?
Not at all. How can you disagree with your parents or your family? It's like that. We think alike so much that anything he'd make would not be alien to me or not work in terms of content. I'm a big Karan Johar fan and even if I hadn't worked with him in my first film, I'd never say no to a Karan Johar film.

Aren't you attracted to women in the industry?
Of course yes! Lot of attractive women and potential co-stars. I'd like to work with Anushka (Sharma), Deepika (Padukone) and Katrina (Kaif). They are attractive, belong to my age group and match my height. Hopefully, we'll work together soon.

Do men hit on you?
I don't know if I would understand if a man hit on me. But attention, yes. They praise me, my work, the way I look, if that's hitting on me, then yes, I've got those reactions.

What's your take on infidelity?
It's alien to me. I've not experienced it. I've not experienced that kind of relationship where I felt cheated or have cheated on someone.

Live-in relationships?
There's a word for it - marriage. Why not just get married? I don't understand the concept of live-in relationships.

Cosmetic surgery?
Total no, no. Actually, to each his own. If you're conscious about some feature and believe changing it will make you happy, then go ahead without regret.

When do you see yourself getting married?
Let's start with a serious relationship first, settling down is far, far away. I've a commitment phobia, I'm scared to commit. I like my space; I like to do my own thing. I love my me-time, which not many girls can understand.

What kind of a girl would you like?
A girl who'd adapt to my bad habits and appreciate my good ones.

What are your bad habits?
I can be distant and aloof. I might give priority to work and miss that dinner date. I'd like someone who'd endure my immature behaviour and childish side. I believe I'd do the same for her. She has to be practical and sensitive too.

What turns you on and what turns you off about a girl?
I love thick, long open hair. Like Dimple Kapadia's in Sagar. Apart from physical appearance, I like someone who's happy and healthy. I'd hate it if she abused her body. That's a big turn off. I'm not a smoker and I don't drink. I don't need distractions like that. Being pretentious too is a big turn off. I'd like her to be a good conversationalist, not saying things just to create an impression.

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