Sidharth Malhotra is quite excited about his upcoming films — Baar Baar Dekho and an untitled love story (he insists it isn’t the sequel to Bang Bang 2). He talks about how he ages from 18 to 60 for BBD and how he’s training in physical combat for his untitled next. Here’s an excerpt from our chat...
Baar Baar Dekho isn’t a sci-fi film?
It is not about time travel. It’s a unique concept. In Hollywood, they have all these fictitious films like Bruce Almighty. There are films where the universe gives you an opportunity; it’s in that zone. It has not been done in India recently. Rather, it has not been done successfully here. So we are taking the leap of faith to portray something which is part fiction and part reality. We are doing it in a very intimate way. It’s about what happens in this character’s life and to the one he loves. And what happens to that love from the ages 18 to 60.
Was it difficult applying the prosthetics?
We took hours to get ready. We don’t have too much of the film set in the older portions. Most of it happens in the younger space, but the newness of a love story that spans over a period of time is what will attract the audience. It’s done in a very contemporary way. It’s a new genre, it’s not a typical thing. It’s not the usual love story so I am really looking forward to the experience this September.
But most films with time travel haven’t worked well...
Exactly! I would say at that time, we were not actors. For me, it was difficult to say no to the script. It has a very story-driven love story. I feel we are out of conflicts in love stories. How do we show conflict? The scripts I was reading were either too typical or too done-to-death. This one is unique and I had to try this out. We are pretty happy and confident about the film.
How much of it is left to be shot?
We are almost 80 percent done. We are shooting from March 22-23 after Kapoor & Sons releases.
Then you have Bang Bang 2...
No, it’s not Bang Bang 2, actually. It’s an action film with Fox but it’s not a sequel to Bang Bang. It has nothing to do with the first part. We are yet to title the film and it will be in a fun zone with Raj and DK who are the directors. I like their work and their quirky sense of humour. As soon as we get a title, we will announce it!
Will you sport more than one look in the film?
There are two looks that we will have to do for that film, so obviously, we will try and get it sorted. The body type will be the same. I just need to take out time to train and be in shape. But it’s more important to get the action style correct because that will be the USP of the film.
Are you training for the film?
I am training in hand-to-hand combat. For now, I am concentrating on the physical aspect of the film. I am looking at mastering a new artform and make it look convincing. In a different kind of style. So there’s Krav Maga, there’s Jukendo, a kind of hand-locking. This time, we are not in the ring, so we are concentrating more on that than the look this time.
