A positive word like “keep moving” is what everyone wants to hear. It is, however, difficult to sustain. Every day is filled with great opportunities for everyone. Let’s read Siddharth’s career in film and acting through his eyes. According to him, experience teaches us to remain calm and move forward.
The son of Malayalam parents, Siddharth Menon was raised in Pune. He is a well-known actor in both the Hindi and Marathi film industries. When he was 21 years old, Peddlers became his first film. As well as, he received famed for his two hit movies, “Chhappad Phaad Ke” (Hindi) and “Poster Girl” (Marathi). He also discussed his struggles, opportunities, and experiences in both theatre and film.
In most of your movies, your characters are comedic. However, how did you adjust to the emotional drama film “June”? What challenges did you face in acquiring the new role?
SM: I have never thought about genre while choosing films..but now that you are asking..I guess you can that I have done more dramas than comedies..Chhappad phaad ke in hindi and poshter girl in marathi were my two biggest hits..i think making a film is challenging..whichever genre..each film is a new experience and has its own challenges..i come down to zero when i start a new film..having said that JUNE was my most challenging film till date..and it was fulfilling in ways that i never experienced earlier..it was challenging because the script was brilliant..and to do justice to a great script is a challenge..and its a film that I surrendered to more than I do usually..I just bathed in it..and enjoyed every moment of it..inspite of all the challenging scenes in the film..
If you could tell us more about how you got your first break, and how many films you have done to date?
SM: I haven’t counted yet..but I think I’m around 20 films old. I still feel like a debutant everytime I take on a project though…the craft is such…it’s always ahead of you..my 1st film PEDDLERS came to me when I was 21 years old. I had already been knocking on doors and auditioning since a couple of years before that.. I was doing a lot of theatre at the time. Vasan Bala who gave me my first big break as a lead actor in my 1st Hindi film, trusted me like nobody else. I owe him a lot. The ease with which he just took me in, he and my producers Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap. It was too good to be true.. I was so used to rejection… I kept feeling like they would replace me anytime…but they didn’t…they gave me a debut which was way beyond my dreams..having said that… the struggle never ends…it just keeps changing as you go along..rejection still happens..films still get shelved..or pushed..that’s the way the business is..but experience teaches you to be calm and keep moving..keep searching, that’s important.
Most of your Marathi and Hindi films were very successful. In your work and daily life, what language do you enjoy and prefer most?
SM: when it comes to language..I have never made a choice based on language..I am a malayalee who was born and brought up in pune..and was exposed to different cultures and films of all languages..Indian Nd foreign..I enjoy exploring languages and I have always maintained that I wanna work in as many languages possible..even if it’s a language I don’t speak..more than being comfortable in hindi or marathi..its the language the character speaks which is important to me..every character has a distinct style,tone and dialect..thats something I give some thought to while prepping for a film..for eg if im playing a south indian in a hindi film..that hindi is different as compared to the hindi i would speak if im playing a north indian..but in life I speak fluently in English, Malayalam, Hindi and marathi..im equally comfortable in all these languages..and keep switching between them depending on the ppl around me..Its safe to say that I have mastered the art of thinking in all these languages on and off camera..
What, in your opinion, distinguishes stage acting from performing in front of a camera? What is the ideal setting for aspiring actors?
SM: The only difference is the process..while working in front of camera an actor needs to know and flow with the rhythm of the camera..the movement of it..the lensing etc..and on stage one just needs to keep in mind that the performance has to reach every member of the audience..and adjust accordingly..its not as superficial as on stage one has to be loud and in front of camera one has to be subtle..it’s the type of film or play you are doing which decides that..I have done films where I’m louder than I am on stage and iv done plays where I was extremely subtle..and both have worked..also when it comes to stage..the size of the venue also is at play..whether its a big auditorium or an intimate space..an actor has to adjust accordingly..neither is more tougher or easier..both are just different crafts..and I enjoy doing both..I think for aspiring actors there is no template as to where one must start from..there are actors who have only worked in film..and actors who have only done stage..but I do feel that theatre really helps you develop some skills..lose inhibitions and helps you develop your craft..workshopping on yourself is important..and theatre really teaches you that..
What prompted you decide to pursue acting as a career when you were young, and why?
SM: I think I wanted to be a performer ever since I was little.. I never told anybody but deep down I kind of knew that this is what I would love doing..it took me a long time to accept it though..coz you are wired to think that you are going to fail..but its my parents who said that you won’t know unless you step into the fire..go ahead and jump..that’s when I realised that if I don’t do this I am definitely failing because not doing something you genuinely love doing, means that you are lying to yourself..and I knew I couldn’t live life that way..I just accepted at that moment that this is who I am..that decision was the best decision I ever made..it changed my life..
What motivates you the most to invest yourself in the characters—real-life people, popular culture, or a compelling narrative?
SM: it’s the story and the journey of the character that inspires me..and the people who are making it..their passion and vision of what kind of world they are creating in the film..its very difficult to say what exactly it is in a story or character that drives me..sometimes it’s a scene..sometimes a line…sometimes a moment..sometimes the entire project..
What genre, besides comedy and drama, would you prefer to perform in? Have you ever considered picking an action or thriller film?
SM: As I said I want to work in every language and every genre..A majority of my work can be categorized as drama and comedy..but I don’t look at it that way..a film is a film and there are always sub genres involved..I have done almost all genres..including a zombie series called Betaal..and a science fiction independent film titled Time Machine as well..each had its own drama and thrill and funny moments in it as a sub genre..Time Machine is a coming of age love story in the backdrop of science fiction..so I have been lucky that way..but the one genre I really wanna dive into..is action..I might not look very big..but in life I’m very agile and acrobatic and flexible and I work really hard on my body and endurance..and im really itching to kick some butt on screen..
Who do you consider to be your acting guru who has always encouraged you?
SM: I don’t have one mentor as such..I have had the good fortune of working with such amazing people with whom i have extremely close friendships with..this includes a few directors,actors,musicians and theatre practitioners who form my inner circle..and each one has gone out of their way to support me and be honest with me and love me and genuinely help me and wish well for me..and I’m lucky to say that i have people who i can trust and open up to about things professionally..and the give and take as artists is amazing..i am a student of cinema and theatre and music and there are some actors and musicians who’s work I really study..they don’t know that..but I am their secret student..
