TO THE VICTOR THE SPOILS

Scaling new heights with his performance in Shershaah, the actor is rising through the ranks and primed for future success

- Sonali Velinker Kamat

ARMED WITH GUMPTION and an AK-47, Sidharth Malhotra plays Kargil War hero Captain Vikram Batra with aplomb in the recently-released film Shershaah. In real life, the actor’s artillery includes a winning smile and genuine warmth that is enough to disarm any adversary.

Our Zoom meeting feels a little like a battlefield — being watched over by invisible generals and targeted for timeliness — but Malhotra navigates it like a champ. Ever so charming, he answers my questions with care and consideration; taking his time to think his responses through despite a ticking clock. From the capture of Point 5140 in Shershaah to Sid’s experiences navigating the often treacherous terrain that defines Bollywood, we cover a gamut of subjects.

I come away convinced that there’s a lot more to this Mr. Malhotra than meets the eye. For one, he’s not your typical ‘chocolate boy’ and while he is well aware that his looks cause a flutter, he seems determined to be defined by anything but his biceps. He has been a passionate advocate for