Siddhant Chaturvedi on Ishaan Khatter: "I want his body" : Exclusive
In the ever-evolving world of showbiz, friendships often flicker in and out with projects. But for
Siddhant Chaturvedi
and
Ishaan Khatter
, the camaraderie has only deepened since their zany supernatural comedy Phone Bhoot.
Whether it's sharing screen space or cracking jokes off-camera, the duo has been thick as thieves — and the admiration is mutual.
Siddhant Chaturvedi & Triptii Dimri Get Candid On Dhadak 2; BTS, Banter & Getting Whacked? WATCH
Recently, while promoting his upcoming film Dhadak 2 with Triptii Dimri in an exclusive interview with ETimes, we asked Siddhant what he'd like to steal from Ishaan Khatter. Without skipping a beat, Siddhant replied with a grin, 'I want his body. He's looking very good. He's always been fit, honestly, but there's a glow-up on him right now.' Incidentally Ishaan entered the industry with Dhadak opposite Janhavi Kapoor which was based on
Nagraj Manjule
's Sairat.
It's the kind of praise that doesn't just come from a co-star, but from someone who's genuinely been tracking a friend's evolution over time. Siddhant added, 'I've seen his muscles grow with time. I've known him for a long time, but I think he's in his best shape now. And he's killing it!'
Indeed, Ishaan Khatter has been turning heads lately — from his confident red carpet appearances to his bold editorial shoots, especially after his breakout in The Royals and a string of high-impact magazine covers that showcased his evolving fashion-forward persona.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Libas Purple Days Sale
Libas
Undo
Siddhant acknowledged this shift with enthusiasm: 'He's like the internet sensation right now… after Royals and the magazine shoots. And he's pushing style and fashion.
That's something to really steal.'
The praise comes not just as a compliment to Ishaan's fitness, but also as recognition of his intentional transformation — both physically and in terms of personal branding. While he's always been recognized for his energetic screen presence and dance prowess, it's his recent focus on physicality, style, and sharper public appearances that's caught the industry's and fans' eyes alike.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
14 minutes ago
- India.com
Dhadak 2 Review: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri starrer is a raw portrayal that leaves you speechless with its approach, but has partially conveyed the message
Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri's one of the most anticipated films of this year, 'Dhadak 2', has finally hit the big screens. The film is set against the socially charged backdrop of Madhya Pradesh. Dhadak 2 unfolds in the culturally rich city of Bhopal and Sehore, where traditions and caste hierarchies still dictate the rhythms of daily life. This sequel to the 2018 film ' Dhadak ' and remake of the 2018 Tamil film 'Pariyerum Perumal,' helmed by Mari Selvaraj, ventures into deeper and more unsettling territory, shedding a shiny thin layer of its predecessor to confront the harsh realities of caste discrimination head-on. What is the storyline of Dhadak 2? The narrative centers on Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi), a Dalit law student from Bhim Nagar, and Vidhi (Triptii Dimri), a Brahmin girl from an influential family of lawyers. Their paths cross first when Siddhant's character was playing a dhol-guy in a marriage and then in a law college, where it later turns into a tender romance that blossoms amidst shared lectures and debates. However, their love story takes a tragic turn when Vidhi invites Neelesh to her sister's wedding, only to witness her family's brutal rejection of their relationship, laying bare the deep-seated caste prejudices that persist in society despite living within the mask of modern society and norms. How were the performances in Dhadak 2? Siddhant Chaturvedi delivers a career-defining performance as Neelesh. He portrays the character's quiet rage, resilience, and vulnerability with remarkable depth, capturing the internal struggle of a man confronting systemic oppression. Triptii Dimri, as Vidhi, brings emotional nuance to her role, depicting a woman torn between love and societal expectations. Her transformation from a sheltered girl to someone confronting painful realities feels natural and well-earned. The supporting cast adds significant weight to the narrative. The extremely talented Saurabh Sachdeva has delivered another path-breaking performance in the role of Shankar, a silent casteist assassin who believes that he is cleaning the world of parasites through honour killings. Vipin Sharma, as Neelesh's father, delivers a poignant performance, portraying a cross-dressing dancer who becomes one of the film's most quietly powerful characters. Zakir Hussain, as the college principal, adds gravitas to the story, embodying a man trying to walk the tightrope between fairness and fear. Among the fresh faces in Dhadak 2, Manjari Pupula leaves a quiet mark with her restrained yet emotionally grounded performance. Saad Bilgrami adds a strong push in the film's narrative, whose superiority complex against Dalits is portrayed without diluting the film's intensity. Priyank Tiwari stands out in a confrontational scene that lingers with your heart and mind, while Anubha Fatehpura as the mother of Neelesh brings grace and poise to her limited but memorable role. How were the songs and sound design in Dhadak 2? The music of Dhadak 2 leans into emotion rather than extravagance. Tracks like 'Bas Ek Dhadak' by Jubin Nautiyal and Shreya Ghoshal evoke a gentle ache, while Arijit Singh's 'Duniya Alag' carries his signature soulfulness. The soundtrack doesn't scream for attention, it sits quietly within your hearts, letting the story breathe for your minds, without any clichés or dramatic nuances. The background score, subtle yet effective, especially deepens moments of silence, longing, and conflict. It's music that doesn't distract but understands the rhythm of the story, which makes Dhadak 2 part of a fine composition that perfectly soothes its storyline. How was the film's cinematography and editing? Cinematographer Avinash Arun captures the stark contrasts of Madhya Pradesh, from the narrow, chaotic spaces of Neelesh's world to the cleaner, more spacious upper-caste homes. The visual storytelling effectively highlights the social and physical distances between characters. Editor Nitin Baid maintains a tight narrative pace, though the second half could have benefited from more concise editing to sustain the film's intensity. How Dhadak 2 looks half-baked in delivering a hard-hitting message? When compared to its inspiration, Mari Selvaraj's Pariyerum Perumal, Dhadak 2 falls short in certain aspects. While it successfully brings the conversation about caste discrimination to a broader audience, it lacks the same intensity and nuanced exploration of the original. The climax shot, in particular, feels overly cinematic, diluting the film's entire core that undermines its gritty realism and makes it feel like a commercial cinema that has a powerful take on the caste-system but falls flat in delivering the exact message. The character of the dog, named Birju in this film, who actually became the central emotion of Mari Selvaraj's cinematic gem, Karuppi, does not make the exact impact as the makers did not make them part of Neelesh's entire journey. How was the direction and writing in Dhadak 2? Director Shazia Iqbal approaches the subject matter with sensitivity and realism, steering away from melodrama and focusing on subtle, powerful moments. Her storytelling hits the mark, capturing the ugly truth of caste discrimination with honesty. However, the film's ending, while emotionally charged, leans towards a more conventional resolution, which may not resonate with all viewers. Final verdict for Dhadak 2 In conclusion, Dhadak 2 is a compelling, emotionally rich film that elevates the template of a love story with realism and depth. With strong performances and an important message, it's a step forward for Bollywood romance. While it may not surpass in every aspect, but manages to succeed in starting a conversation and delivering a social message that remains relevant today. Stars: 3/5
Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
Dhadak 2 FIRST review OUT: Siddhant Chaturvedi-Triptii Dimri's chemistry lights up fans, ‘Heartfelt love saga with…'
Dhadak 2 audience review: Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri's movie premiered in theatres on August 1 after months of delay. The most awaited spiritual sequel to 2018 movie Dhadak, starring Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, was met with Believed to be a remake of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal (2018), the movie showcasing activism and emotion generated a lot of interest among the cinephiles. A user wrote, 'A film around social issues should have two qualities, ie, bravery in story telling & honesty in performances! #Dhadak2 has both.' Another user remarked, 'Some stories touch your Heart, Others Hit your Mind — #Dhadak2 does isn't absent in cities, it just hides behind a moral mask -and this film rips that mask off with brutal honesty..' A third user stated, 'A heartfelt love saga set in rural India, highlighting caste barriers and forbidden romance. The film brings back the raw intensity of the first part but with deeper emotional conflicts….with youthful moments, second half focuses on family opposition and intense emotional drama.' IMDb describes Dhadak 2 as 'A searing romantic drama about identity, power, and the cost of love in the world we live in.' Hindustan times review states, 'Dhadak 2 is a film that carries a powerful message but fumbles with its storytelling. It wants to speak about caste, oppression, and systemic injustice- and when it does, it hits the right notes. But it's weighed down by an uneven narrative and an overstretched runtime. This could have been a hard-hitting social drama. Instead, it settles for moments of brilliance buried under a ton of missed opportunities.' Produced by Karan Johar, Umesh Kumar Bansal, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Meenu Aroraa, Somen Mishra and Pragati Deshmukh under the banners Zee Studios, Dharma Productions and Cloud 9 Pictures, the movie is directed by Shazia Iqbal. The ensemble cast of the romantic thriller features Saad Bilgrami, Manjiri Pupala, Richa, Vipin Sharma, Deeksha Joshi, Mayank Khanna, Aditya Thakare, Shantanu Pandey, Bala, Priyank Tiwari, Ashwant Lodhi and Amit Jaat in key roles.
Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Dhadak 2 movie review: After Saiyaara, the passion in Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi's feels performative
Dhadak 2 movie review: A little group, sitting outside their tiny homes, is swapping stories. The tone is civil, but the matter at hand, clearly hypothetical, is deadly serious– about a group of starving humans turning into cannibals, and a victim who gets devoured. Someone says, 'agar Dalit hota toh bach jaata, koi chhoota tak nahin' (If it was a Dalit, no one would have touched him). This line hits hard. Or, it should have. But it stays a throwaway, and we don't really feel the impact as much as we should have. That single dialogue encapsulates centuries of caste-discrimination and exploitation and the almost inhuman resilience that a group of Indian citizens have been forced to live with. But in Shazia Iqbal's 'Dhadak 2', we hear it, and before we could absorb the enormous weight of it, it's gone. I felt the similarly torn while I watched the film (a spiritual sequel of the 2018 Ishaan Khatter-Jhanvi Kapoor 'Dhadak'), where it can be seen reaching for emotional highs, and you will it with all your might to get there, and then along comes another speech-to-camera, another declarative dive, which undermines the moment, and the cumulative drama. It is in the in-between moments that this adaptation of Mari Selvaraj's 'Pariyerum Perumal' comes alive. Set in a city which looks like Bhopal but is never named, a law college becomes the site of the conflict, just the way it did in the 2018 original. Neelesh (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Vidhi (Tripti Dimrii) are students in the same class, but there's an invisible hawser-like line which divides them: he cannot even pronounce his surname 'Ahirwar' out loud because he will be 'found out' as lower caste, whereas she never has to, as she belongs to an 'upper caste Brahmin' family. The film doesn't draw back from scenes set in squalor, even if those visuals come wrapped in a Neelesh's outburst as he 'introduces' Vidhi to his lived reality — look, that neighbour is a sweeper in homes, that one cleans gutters. We aren't shown the people up close ; they are blurs in the distance. The Tamil original would have stayed on those faces till their outlines became clear, but the Dharma production's focus is the attractive lead pair, artfully made up to look unmade : is that a slight hint of brownface on Neelesh? A romance flowers between the two, but the passion feels a trifle performative. Coming off from 'Saiyaara' where the two young lovers burn up the screen, about the only really effective thing about that film, you feel this even more intensely. Individually, though, both make us watch, and in some places, Dimri more than Chaturvedi. Does the clearly 'privileged' Vidhi (yes, writers Iqbal and Rahul Badwelkar make her use that word for herself) not realise the differences herself? There's a lot of tell underlining the show : Neelesh's initial helplessness at the constant gross humiliation heaped upon him –people literally pissing on him, muck being thrown at him– turning into the mantra of 'maaro ya maro', which finally becomes his only recourse. Watch Dhadak 2 movie trailer here: The instinct for survival kicking in, and the struggle for ceded space, is a reflection of the sentiments coursing through the veins of his mother (an effective Anubha Fatehpura) and college principal (Zakir Hussain). And Neelesh BA LLB at last finds himself arrayed on the side of his people, shown the way by a fighting-for-the-cause senior student, one spot on a front class bench, one push back at a time. A couple of other threads crop up, crowding the canvas. A vigilante (Saurabh Sachdeva) who goes about 'eliminating' the 'gandagi' from the 'samaaj' is hard at work, and turns into one of Neelesh's roadblocks, along with Vidhi's violent cousin, hate-filled chacha, and a newly-married sister (Deeksha Joshi) who is there to tell us that compromise and good matches go hand-in-hand : providing garam puris will always be the domain of the bahu. Neelesh's father (Vipin Sharma) whose job as a cross-dresser dancer is also his vocation, is a matter of shame, which needs to be addressed. This is a film which is clearly on the right side of many of the hot button issues we need to be pressing: casteism, classism, feminism, sexual identities. While at it, you can see an awareness of the wrongs and injustices which have made, and continue to make headlines. A student suicide on campus after his fellowship is stopped because of his 'activism', reminds us of the Rohith Vemula case. Vidhi talks of 'noodles and jeans and cellphones' as things 'good girls shouldn't have'. Her uncle talks of the danger of 'padhi likhi ladkiyaan', and her father (Harish Khanna) is shown as weak, unable to take a clear stand, like so many of us. When Neelesh cries out, can't you see how things are, he is not just calling out Vidhi's blindness– 'mujhe laga yeh sab gaon mein hota hai, yahan nahin'– it is all of ours. Even though the film is never as searing as it could have been, it is miles ahead of the original 'Dhadak', which in turn was an adaptation of Nagraj Manjule's 'Sairat', a blockbuster which redefined the contemporary young love story in Indian cinema. Maybe it is us, the audience which refuses to be repelled, which is to blame, with filmmakers shying away from showing the true depths of discrimination. But it is still important and timely, and as political as a mainstream film is allowed to be in these times, opening with Thomas Jefferson's famous line 'when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty'. Dhadak 2 movie cast: Triptii Dimri, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Saad Bilgrami, Aditya Thakare, Harish Khanna, Zakir Hussain, Vipin Sharma, Deeksha Joshi, Manjari Pupala, Saurabh Sachdeva, Anubha Fatehpura, Abhay Joshi Dhadak 2 movie director: Shazia Iqbal Dhadak 2 movie rating: 2.5 stars
