Outsiders have to work harder, nepotisim exists

Siddhant Chaturvedi made a huge mark with his acting skills, playing rapper MC Sher in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy. And now, his lead role as the new Bunty in Yash Raj Films’ Bunty Aur Babli 2 has won him unanimous acclaim.
The actor weighs in on the outsider vs. insider debate raging in the industry, and talks of nepotism and the herculean struggle that outsiders like him have to undergo to make a mark in Bollywood.

He says, “Yes, insiders do get spotted early, they have it easy to get their first break and also get many more opportunities than the outsiders get. It’s a reality of this industry and every other industry of the world. It’s almost like a law of the land.”

“It is well-known that outsiders take way longer to make their presence felt in the industry. I have seen many who have gone through a lot before they were even spotted despite having serious talent. I too underwent my share of struggles for many years before I got my break,” says Siddhant.

The actor wholeheartedly thanks his mentors for empowering him to live his dream to be an actor. He says, “I will be forever grateful to Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, and Ritesh Sidhwani for the opportunities they gave me at the start of my career. I would be nobody today without their support. I know I’m one of the fortunate strugglers who have got the attention that we truly deserve. I know of many who didn’t. It’s sad but it’s the truth.”

“Nepotism exists and outsiders have to work that much harder to make their presence felt but there’s beauty in that hard work too,” Siddhant notes. He credits the hardships that he has faced for shaping him into the human being that he is today. “It (being an outsider) shapes you and your thoughts and steels your mind to achieve what you truly want in life,” the actor says.

He feels the only way outsiders in Bollywood can survive is “by getting the love of people through our craft,” and says, “I’m concentrating on doing just that. Hope I manage to entertain the audiences so that they keep coming back to watch me on the big screen and give me wind beneath my wings to soar. ”

In the big league

Siddhant has films opposite Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif coming up. Not an easy task for an outsider. “You know, after Gully Boy was released, I thought I would be all over the place. But then the pandemic happened and my other films did not get released. Now I am happy that I have multiple roles and get-ups in this film which will compensate for the other roles,” he says, adding, “I am also very excited about the entire gamut of my films which will be getting released from this month onwards.”

As the Gully Boy song says ‘apna time aayega’, Siddhant’s time has come.