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The man who stole Aamir's thunder

Bollywood is buzzing for Siddharth after `Rang De Basanti', but he prefers working in Telugu films

HOT PROPERTY Siddharth makes the right moves

Karan Singhania, oops, Siddharth, has arrived. Critics call him the surprise package of Rang De Basanti (RDB) but Siddharth remains firmly grounded. To think that acting happened to this MBA grad, who started off as an assistant director to Mani Ratnam, by accident, is a surprise. During a short visit to the city, Siddharth gets candid as he talks about his choice of films.

RDB might have made him hot property, but Siddharth considers his bravura performance in Nuvvastanante Nenodantana (NN) as the turning point. "NN convinced me that I could be an actor," says Siddharth. Incidentally, Rakeysh Mehra approached Siddharth even before NN released. "RDB was in the making for three years; I joined the crew only two weeks before the shoot. My part, Karan Singhania, was previously offered to a number of leading actors. Rakeysh had run out of choices when he approached me. But well, it's worked fine for me," he shrugs. Siddharth, too, didn't accept the film initially. "I had just established myself in Telugu and didn't want to start from a scratch elsewhere. But when I saw the script, I agreed."

Today, he's soaking in the adulation and is happy with his decision. "In the time that I spent working on RDB, I could have done some run of the mill Telugu and Tamil films. But honestly, I'd rather sit at home than do a bad movie. For instance, I wasn't happy with Boys. I took some time off and waited for good offers. I don't do a film unless I am convinced," he tells us.

Siddharth admits that films like RDB are not made too often, but refuses to blame scriptwriters and filmmakers for lack of quality films. "In the film, Rakeysh tells you that if you aren't happy with politics or administration, get into it and cleanse the system yourself. This applies to cinema as well. People who say they hate Indian films can go kill themselves. If you feel there aren't good scripts, write one yourself." It is this thought that made Siddharth pen the script for Chukkallo Chandrudu. "With due respects to all writers, I turned to scriptwriting only because I wasn't happy with the films I was being offered. And I must say that I'm proud of my work."

That he's an outsider to Hyderabad didn't come in the way of writing for a Telugu film, he says. "I wrote from my knowledge of Hyderabad in the last two years. If you don't discover a city in two years, you won't do it in a lifetime. I've lived in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. I am more comfortable in Delhi and Hyderabad than in Mumbai and Chennai."

Bollywood offers are pouring in but Siddharth remains focused on Telugu movies. In the pipeline are two ventures - one for Dil Raju and another for M S Raju. "I am not insecure that I'm not part of Hindi films. I am Siddharth, irrespective of the language of my film," he says firmly.

SANGEETHA DEVI. K

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