I can’t be compared with legend Amitji

Siddhant Chaturvedi, who will play an action hero for the first time in Yudhra, is excited about his role, saying it’s something he’s always wanted to do.

In a chat with DC, he said his real-life personality is far different from the one he’s playing on screen. “I’m a cool guy,” he said, and added that he had done his best to convey the angst that is part of his character.

So, can we expect a new Angry Young Man, we asked, referring to the epithet given in the 70s to Amitabh Bachchan. “Amitji is a legend and there’s no way I can be compared to him,” replied Siddharth with a smile. “Bachchan saab ki tulna kisi se nahi ki ja sakti. His acting was very different and left an undying impression on audiences. He has been the most loved actor for generation after generation.”

Director Ravi Udyawar revealed why he chose to cast Siddhant Chaturvedi in the film. “I wanted a fresh action hero. Sid does not come with any baggage. This being his first action film, he performed in a very natural, fresh way. We are happy with his performance.”

Ravi, whose first Hindi project was Mom, starring the late Sridevi, said he has always wanted to direct films of different genres, and was happy to helm this action film.Talking about the film, he said Yudhra, written by Sridhar Raghavan, would attract comparison with William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Hamlet. Elaborating, he said, “It is a classic revenge story about a kid who can't control his anger. The plot revolves around what this emotion does to him.”

Ravi, who belongs to the Malayalam film industry, declined to be drawn on the Hema Committee report which has spawned nation-wide discussions with its revelations about the ‘casting couch’ and female film artistes being subjected to sexual abuse. “He claimed to not know the details of the report, having been busy with Yudhra, and said, “I will not be able to comment on it.”

Yudhra is also the Bollywood debut of leading lady Malavika Mohanan. Raj Arjun, Ram Kapoor and Gajraj Rao have pivotal roles in the film produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment. It is scheduled to be released on September 20.