Interview: Siddharth Shaw- “Of course it’s a very insecure field to be in as…”

Q. How did acting happen to you?

A. So, very honestly I’ve been actively inclined towards theatre. I was born in Lucknow and brought up in Delhi and I did theatre there in Delhi. I did ‘Sound of music’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, and many more. Then I did Hindi theatre in Delhi. So, while doing theatre, the way you’re actively involved in the whole process of working and the feeling of going ahead and the feeling of rush you have onstage is something which is not replaceable. It was a primary driving at first and I was also inclined towards debating, doing anything and everything that involves a stage, dancing and all that. The feeling of being on stage is something I can’t put into words. So then I started feeling that this is what I want to do. I cant really pinpont the time when my passion turned into my profession.

Q. So have you ever felt insecure in this field?

A. Of course it’s a very insecure field to be in as we don’t have any 9-5 jobs with a fixed amount coming into our bank accounts. Our work is like we’re here today and we don’t know if we’ll be here tomorrow or not. So, if you did well in your last job, people are gonna hire you for the next.

Q. What is the story behind you getting your first lead role in ‘Do Gubbare’?

A. So there’s this talent management firm called ‘Clout’. Mr. Gaurav works there. Jio studios was looking for a fresh face for their upcoming series, which we are talking about today. And they reached out to Clout and Gaurav called me and said that there’s this project, he sent me everything, I read it. The director liked my takes and the very next week we had a meeting with Jio Studios and we met and we clicked instantly.

Q. Considering all of the factors how it happened, what was that one thing that influenced you in this series?

A. Firstly, I’d say it’s the writing. The writer sat down for a year to write this project. So, when he spent that amount of time on a script, it showed. When it first came to me just on the audition, like 3-4 pages, I could tell from that that it was so beautiful, and that there was so much for me to go ahead and add to the character, because it looked like a well researched draft, which is very rare.

Q. This series is shot beautifully and in a family friendly way, and it seems like you really like your character Rohit, so what’s your personal take on living life as an optimistic person or as Rohit?

A. See, very honestly, I’m really optimistic in my real life. And if you double Siddharth’s personality, a Rohit would be born, because I believe that every character has some shade of you. It’s not something that’s completely different from your life, some part of the character would be there in you too. And even the path I’ve chosen for myself is challenging, so if I don’t stay optimistic, I don’t know from where I will find the faith in me to continue doing this. And I’ve been like that since childhood. Isn’t it just the best way to lead life? Being optimistic?

Q. How did this series change you as a person or what was a lesson which you’d never forget?

A. One lesson which I’ve picked up is to not to take it too harshly on me. So, it was my first lead, I had a lot of baggage on my shoulders, and I was performing alongside Mohan Agashe. I’m 24 and he has an experience of double my age, so he comes with his own aura on the set and with his experience. Plus I’ve chosen this kind of work because I love doing it, so we should be having fun with it as well. So that is my learning, having fun while working.

Q. What are your upcoming projects?

A. I have another release in the first week of September. It’s called ‘Chamak’ and it comes out on SonyLiv. We’ve shot 2 seasons. The first season comes out in September and the 2nd is later this year. The character which I’m playing there is completely opposite to Rohit. Rohit is Mr. Right and this one’s Mr. Wrong. Then I have another feature which comes out in 2024. It’s in post production right now. It’s a horror film. We’ve shot it over 2 years in the North-East in beautiful locations. It’s a VFX heavy film. Apart from that I’ve also shot in another lead on the OTT platform but I’m not allowed to leak anything right now.