MAN on FIRE

SIDHANT GUPTA has stamped his mark on the marquee with Jubilee. He shares his euphoria with TANISHA BHATTACHARYA

- TANISHA BHATTACHARYA

Sidhant Gupta hails from Jammu. His father, Sukesh Gupta, is a retired forest officer, while his mother, Sandhya Gupta, is a fashion designer and social activist. Growing up, his interest lay not in films but in sports. He represented J&K at the national level in under-14 cricket, under-17 swimming, and under-19 basketball. Films were frowned upon in his strict home, and he and his elder brother Sanat used to consider sneaking out and watching films as an adventure. He got into modelling early, becoming the face of many a brand before Bollywood came calling. He was launched with the film Tutiya Dil (2012) and was later seen in films like Badmashiyaan (2015), Bhoomi (2017) and Operation Romeo (2022). He also acted on television in between and was seen in serials like Tahan-E-Ishq (2015), Jhalak Dikhla Jaa (2016), and Inside Edge (2021). Vikramaditya Motwane directed Jubilee (2023), however, which catapulted his fame. Excerpts from an interview with the talented actor.

How have things changed for you since the massive success of Jubilee?

We all want to feel accepted. Everyone who’s out here who’s come to become an actor or to do anything in this field, which is this business of creating a world—it’s cinema. It’s a connection between the film and the audience. A connection is a story, and we, as actors, just bring it to life and live out loud in that world. We all long for acceptance. And Jubilee gave me that. So it’s the feeling of acceptance that’s special to me which makes the success so much sweeter.

What was the impact of working with a director like Vikramaditya Motwane?