He burst into Bollywood playing a grim underground rapper MC Sher in Gully Boy. Since then, Siddhant Chaturvedi has been busy working on multiple projects, including Bunty Aur Babli 2, which releases this week. The actor talks about the long wait due to the pandemic, how he bagged the role without an audition, giving Bunty his own take and why he consciously wants to come out of the MC Sher image.
It’s been almost three years since you made your debut, Gully Boy. With Bunty Aur Babli 2 up for release, what is the feeling like?
It’s a bit of a mixed reaction. I am nervous and at the same time excited. It’s a different film from Gully Boy. It’s a light hearted comedy which can be watched by the entire family. All of us have gone through a lot in the past two years due to the pandemic, and we need something that is fun and allows you to enjoy your time out with your loved one. I am pretty sure about the timing of the film and also the branding (laughs). So I am just looking forward to the audience’s reactions.
How did you bag the role?
Adi sir (Aditya Chopra) had seen Gully Boy and I remember he called me and said, ‘Tu toh hero hai,’ and I told him, ‘Toh bana do hero.’ And that’s how I was offered the film and I heard the script and signed it. But somewhere I was a bit hesitant that they hadn’t seen my comic timing. I have grown up watching Govinda sir, Salman (Khan) sir, Shah Rukh (Khan) sir, so I am a hardcore Bollywood fan. So I wrote a diary for this character, where I wrote about the character. I also recorded the voice with some background music. So I auditioned after signing the film as I really wanted to impress Adi sir. When I saw my preparation, he found it really amazing.
The original film was a huge success. Is there a pressure of taking an iconic character like Bunty forward?
I don’t feel the pressure. In fact, I am honoured that YRF (Yash Raj Films) saw the potential in me to play an iconic character of Bunty. I don’t think we ever had a conversation about having pressure with everyone including Saif (Ali Khan) sir or Rani (Mukerji) ma’am. You can’t beat them at their game. So if you can’t do that, you just change the game. Adi sir and Varun Shrma (director) had a lot of discussions about the character and we realised that the first film released 16 years back and the world has changed so much. The technology has advanced. The scams have changed. It is more digital. The new Bunty is cooler and technologically advanced. Since my character is set in this day and age, I have played it with my own sensibilities.
What was the environment on the sets like?
It was simply amazing. Saif sir and Rani ma’am have been in the industry for so many years. They have been there and done that. I was in awe of their energy. They mentored Sharvari and me through the film. They never tried to intrude and were always backing us up. If we were good at a take, they would come and compliment us. It really motivated me as an actor. They would also pull our leg but it was really fun to be on the sets of Bunty Aur Babli 2.
Your performance in Gully Boy was really appreciated. People still know you as MC Sher (his character in the film). Is there a conscious effort to come out of that image?
MC Sher was loved and appreciated by the audiences and if the pandemic wouldn’t have happened it would have been easier for me. That is the last thing that people remember of me and it is still going on. But at the same time, it is a conscious effort to come out of that image. It is important for me to let people know that I am more than MC Sher as that wasn’t me anyway. I don’t know if people remember me for Inside Edge and Life Sahi Hai. It is a huge project to be part of and I have waited for this moment for a while. My dream has always been to play a larger-than-life hero and nothing better than a Yash Raj Films project to let people know that this boy can dance, do comedy and even romance. A lot depends on this film.
What are your memories of Bunty Aur Babli?
I remember watching the film in the theatres, I was 12 years old and I remember coming out of the theatre and dancing all night to its songs. I had bought a cassette and I would put it in my walkman, listening to it continuously. I remember emulating Amitabh Bachchan sir with gamcha and Ray Ban, dancing on Kajra Re in every party, mundan ceremony, wedding (laughs). It was exciting to see this film as a kid.
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