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Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Tanuj Virwani calls working on 'Rana Naidu 2' a phenomenal experience: 'I am cautiously optimistic'
Actor Tanuj Virwani , who will be seen in "Rana Naidu" Season 2, has been a "massive fan" of the first season. He said he had a phenomenal experience shooting and that he was cautiously optimistic about the second installment of the series. Tanuj said: "The experience has been truly phenomenal. I am a massive fan of the first season. In fact, I used to keep pestering Karan Anshuman who is also my showrunner for all 3 seasons of Inside Edge. I used to tell him to give me a role as I really wanted to be a part of his special universe." He added: "It doesn't matter what he wrote for me as I always knew he would write something nice for me. Cut to a few months, he was back. He said that he's developing something and he thought I would be fit for that part. So he asked me to catch up and discuss more. When I heard the narration, I loved what he had written for me and I knew I could bring something different to the table. I am always excited to try new and different stuff." The actor said that when there are "handful of scenes" and the "role" is pivotal to the larger narrative, "it can freeze you off the shackles." "When you are the main lead in a show or a film, there's more added responsibility on your shoulders and maybe that chance to experiment and freedom is a little less. But, when you are in a handful of scenes and your role is very important to the larger narrative, it can freeze you off the shackles." He added: "That's what this role of Chirag Oberoi in ' Rana Naidu Season 2 ' offered me. I am cautiously optimistic and I hope the audience enjoys watching it as much as I enjoyed being a part of it." Talking about other cast members, he said: "We also have some fantastic additions. Kriti Kharbanda and I are playing brothers and sisters, Rajat Kapoor is playing our father. There's a very interesting dynamic between the three of us and I truly can't wait for 13th June." "Rana Naidu" Season 2 is set to stream on Netflix from June 13. "Rana Naidu" is an action crime drama television series directed by Karan Anshuman and Suparn Verma. It is the official adaptation of the 2013 American crime drama TV series Ray Donovan. It stars Venkatesh Daggubati, Rana Daggubati (as the title character), Suchitra Pillai, Gaurav Chopra and Surveen Chawla in lead roles. The series was released on 10 March 2023.
Pink Villa
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Meet actor siddhant chaturvedi who shaved his head after career setback, was 'blacklisted' for refusing Ranbir Kapoor's film but later worked with Alia Bhatt
In today's Meet the Actor, we're talking about the journey of a star who shaved his head after his debut film was scrapped. The start wasn't any easier for him, as he was blacklisted right after his first film. However, he later went on to work with the biggest names of Bollywood, including Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh. We're talking about none other than Siddhant Chaturvedi. Born in Uttar Pradesh, he made his acting debut with the Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge, where he appeared from 2017 to 2019. Interestingly, before making his debut with Gully Boy, Siddhant bagged a role in a film for which workshop went for six months. Siddhant Chaturvedi shaved his head In an earlier interview with Mashable India, the Dhadak 2 actor revealed that the film was scrapped later, while he was just 21–22 years old. "Whenever I would look in the mirror, I would just see that character. So I shaved my hair! It was a big jolt for me,' he shared. Well, as destiny had it, later he made his debut with musical drama, Gully Boy in 2019. Despite a breakthrough debut, the career path wasn't away from any challenges. In another interview with The Lallantop, the actor recalled refusing a role in Brahmastra Part 1. Siddhant Chaturvedi declined Brahmastra While he was excited to do the film, he asked for the script from Ayan Mukerji, who didn't have it at the time since the film was still in its initial stage. He also reasoned with the casting director that nobody would notice him as big names such as Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt were part of the film. Well, what he didn't see coming was him being 'blacklisted'. 'Badnaam ho gaya tha main casting circuit mein ki, 'Ye select ho ke na bol deta hai. Hai kaun bhai tu?' (I had become infamous in the casting circuit for refusing selected roles),' he had remembered. Siddhant Chaturvedi's filmography Nevertheless, Siddhant managed to come out stronger and went on to work in movies like Gehraiyaan, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Phone Bhoot, and Yudhra. He will be next seen in Dhadak 2 alongside Triptii Dimri. Directed by Shazi Iqbal, the film is set to release on August 2, 2025.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Amit Sial on love for Raid 2, Kesari 2: ‘Instant reactions in theatres are a different high altogether'
Amit Sial turned heads first with his role in Kanu Bahl's Titli in 2015. Right when he was planning to quit the film industry, the advent of streaming in India helped him bag exciting parts in Inside Edge, Mirzapur, Qala, Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, and Maharani. These roles have now led him to memorable supporting roles in hit films like Karan Singh Tyagi's period courtroom drama Kesari 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh and Rajkumar Gupta's crime thriller Raid 2. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Sial discusses getting love for these films, how theatrical releases hit differently than OTT shows, and the 10-year journey since his breakthrough in Titli. Did you expect Rajkumar Gupta would approach you for Raid 2? Of course, it came as a pleasant surprise. It's very kind of Rajkumar Gupta to etch me into the script. It was an amazing experience. The way it's reached the audience's hearts, it's incredible! Nobody expected that. We always knew it's an author-backed part, but itna mail kha jayega logon se, mazza hi aa gaya yar! When you read the script, did you expect that the role would turn out to be even bigger and better than the first part? I knew in my heart if Rajkumar Gupta wants me in the film, toh unhone bahut soch-samajh ke hi kuchh kia hoga. Because we had a lovely time working on the first part. We're very fond of each other. I didn't question him much. I knew I was in very safe hands. It was lovely to reconnect with the whole crew and Ajay bhai. It was a very smooth operation, I must say (laughs). How did you crack Lallan Sudheer's new shade of a beimaan imaandar income tax officer? It was written so well! I just had to follow that by heart. That's all what I did. Usko jitna nichod ke, mazze le ke kar sakta tha, bas wohi kia maine. The character is also like that. Dimag zyada nahi lagana chahiye. The more you enjoy, the more audience would enjoy it. Have you watched it with the audience? How did they react to the twist in your character arc? I have. See, you can't watch the audience's faces in dark halls. Par unke comments and laughter se hi kafi mann bhar aaya tha. I've mostly done all my work on OTT. You can't gauge the audience's reactions instantly there. After a long time, I've had two theatrical releases in Kesari 2 and Raid 2. The audience has loved my work in both, especially Raid 2. I witnessed that directly. It was very fulfilling to know that you completed the purpose you were cast for. Speaking of Kesari 2, how did you get into the head of a relentless British sympathizer, who's determined to defend the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on their behalf? I didn't have to research independently because it was a very well-researched and written script. Karan Tyagi and I did discuss and insert this input, which you can see in the end, that he realises that the British are doing wrong. But if you're working with the Crown in that era, then your loyalty rests with them. It was very well accepted that ye humare aaka hain. Theek hai, badhiya hai jo chal raha hai. Half of the Indian Army was working for the Crown. But obviously, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was unprecedented. That's the changing point in the game. Why do you feel Akshay Kumar's character C Sankaran Nair has a change of heart, but your character doesn't? It's a real story, so that happened to that person. But so many others continued to work for their masters, for the Crown for years after that. It was against our Indianism. In hindight, we see that it was wrong. But the freedom movement came much after that. Mahatama Gandhi also worked under the British for years. In fact, the whole world was theirs at that time. So a lot of us had just surrendered to that idea we've been held captive, so let's just make the best of it. But when leaders started going against the British, they were educated under their system only, and they used that against the British. You once stopped accepting supporting roles because you wanted to be the lead actor. After the praise for Kesari 2 and Raid 2, is that still an ambition? Of course it is. Who doesn't dream of becoming a lead actor? I want people to give me the opportunity of carrying a movie on my shoulders. I tried too, but the two films I did as a lead — Tikdam and Jo Tera Hai Woh Mera Hai (2024) — they weren't put on the same pedestal as these two films were. Let's see, maybe this will open more doors for me. Did you venture into more family-friendly films because you wanted to play a conventional lead? It became necessary to cut away and disconnect myself from intensity. I was feeling burnt out. If I give in to stereotyping, the audience would also get bored. Where is my involvement as an actor? I know I can pull off anything. So why not show my versatality to them? It becomes a personal responsibility to make the audience realise that you're not limited to one kind of a role, but can do a range of parts. I'll continue to do it all my life. If I feel burn out, I have to stay true to myself, either take a break or switch to some other piece of work that challenges you. Don't you feel you get a better range as a supporting actor? For instance, Lallan Sudheer has more juice than the lead character of Amay Patnaik? I'm sure Ajay bhai was also enjoying his character. But it's written in a way that he can't do tomfoolery. If he goes into Lallan's zone as well, it'll fall apart. It's a huge responsibility! The whole film is banking on his image and heroism. Abhi ye ajeeb si baatein ho rahi hain ki I overshadowed him, but that's laughable. We have different roles with different beliefs, so we're operating differently. And I feel being a lead actor is a more focused job where you can't deviate from your part. A guy like Lallan Sudheer can do anything because he's been placed in that zone. In early days, you took break from acting to go to Australia, where you did a bunch of odd jobs. When you returned to acting, did those experiences help you as an actor? Hundred percent! When I came back from Australia, I felt for the longest time that I wasted seven-eight years of my life away from acting. But when I started getting into it seriously, then I realised these are the factors which make me better than my peers. My life experiences are my biggest strength. Even if you wash dishes at home, you gain even from that. These daily ordeals should never go out of your life. You broke out on streaming in 2017, but do you think our streaming landscape has the same advantages it had back then? Jaldi mein ho gaye sab beech mein! OTT was a gamechanger. It should've always been that. It was showing real stories and high quality content. Then it turned into herd mentality. Studios started competing with each other. Similar stuff began coming from different places. Then you're competing with best of the world. Those guys give time and do everything in depth. That depth has vanished from our streaming content. Then you've just become television. Plus, they made so much content so quickly. The bank is so huge that out of all the shows, only one or two get popular. Everything else seems very redundant. So I think they should go on back foot and think about this. It happens in every industry that you've to rediscover and reinvent yourself. So our industry is also going through a metamorphosis right now. Do you think being an OTT actor restricted you to streaming for the most part, instead of giving you more opportunities in the theatrical space? When you didn't have work, and were just twiddling your thumb and staring at walls at home, OTT came as a lifesaving boon. I don't mind working on OTT. The point is I want to do good work and good roles. They should just make you feel challenged, and jismei aapke input se chaar chaand lage. There's no point of doing blink-and-miss parts. It'll neither reach the audience nor it'll be good for me creatively. Of course, experiencing something collectively on the big screen with instant audience reaction is a different high altogether. Every actor craves for it. The bottom-line is the work should be purposeful, the medium doesn't matter. It's 10 years of Kanu Behl's Titli this year. You consider the role of Divakar as one of your most challenging. Why is that so? Just being a part of that family that's depicted in Titli. We worked very hard for it. We did a lot of workshops. We had to change our mental space 360 degree and come down from the comfortable place we're in. It was torturous at that point of time. We hated Kanu then, but it was all for a good cause. When we watched the film, we knew exactly what he was trying to do to us. We were shooting in Sangam Vihar in Delhi. In order to get there, you have to go through these big, exuberant luxury farmhouses to reach a slum. I said if these people crossed these farmhouses every day, then it must cross their mind to break into them at night. Your mind starts operating that way. Also Read | Mirzapur actor Amit Sial dismisses Taapsee Pannu's complaints against industry outsiders as 'nuisance talk': 'Should they have a kitty party?' Why were those workshops torturous? They aimed at a mental shift, which involved stepping down from the pedestal you're on in life. It's a very difficult process. In the middle of the shoot, my then-girlfriend, who's now my wife, came to visit me on Holi in Delhi. She looked at me and said, 'Your eyes have changed. Something has shifted inside you.' So that's what workshops do.
India.com
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This man quit his CA exams to become an actor, made debut with Rs 200 crore hit, worked with Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, his name is…, his last film was…
This man quit his CA exams to become an actor, made debut with Rs 200 crore hit, worked with Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, his name is..., his last film was... There are several actors in the industry who quit their education to pursue acting. One such name in the list is Siddhant Chaturvedi. The actor quit his final CA exams to enter Bollywood, and made a terrific debut in Gully Boy , alongside Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. Born in 1993 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, Siddhant moved to Mumbai when he was just five. His father was a chartered accountant. Siddhant decided to follow his footsteps, and started preparing for the CA exams after school. But following his entrance in Mithibai College, he developed interest in theatre and started doing plays. After winning the popular fresh face contest, Siddhant started giving auditions to make his Bollywood debut. In 2016, he appeared in the web series Life Sahi Hai on YouTube and starred in the Amazon Prime web show Inside Edge in 2017. His performance in the series was appreciated, but his desire was to see himself on the big screen. The turning point in Siddharth's life came when we was spotted by Zoya Akhtar at the success party of Inside Edge. She asked him to audition for Gully Boy, opposite Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. He was selected to portray the character of MC Sher, and his performance garnered him overnight fame. He bagged awards under categories of Best Male Debut and Best Supporting Actor for the 2019 film. Following that, he appeared in films like Bunty Aur Babli 2, Gehraiyaan and Phone Bhoot. His last release was on OTT in 2023, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan , alongside Ananya Panday and Adarsh Gourav. Meanwhile, Siddhant has few films lined up for further release. He will be next seen in action drama Yudhra , in which he shares screen-space opposite Triptii Dimri and Mrunal Thakur. Moreover, he also Karan Johar's Dhadak 2 in pipeline.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Siddhant Chaturvedi recalls shaving his head after his debut film got shelved
Siddhant Chaturvedi , made quite the impression with his breakout role in the Bollywood film ' Gully Boy ', but did you know he was initially scheduled to make his film debut in another movie? In an interview with Mashable India, Siddhant recalled how his first big-budget film, which he had signed at the age of 21, was abruptly scrapped after six months of preparation. Dedicated to his role, Siddhant had even styled his hair and wardrobe to fit his character in real life. However, when the project got cancelled, the disappointment was immense. Seeing the character's reflection in the mirror every day reminded him of the lost opportunity, leading him to shave his hair completely to move on emotionally. After the shock of his cancelled debut film, Siddhant revealed he went into a reflective "Zen mode" for about three months, allowing his hair—and spirit—to slowly recover. During this period, while his friends were busy preparing for their Chartered Accountancy (CA) finals, Siddhant was caught between two worlds: his childhood career path and his dreams. He revealed that his mother suggested that he resume his CA journey, believing he was wasting time, but it was his father who encouraged him to keep chasing his passion for acting. Turning struggles into stardom Despite multiple setbacks and near-misses after his first major disappointment, Siddhant reportedly kept his focus on his Bollywood dreams. His breakthrough came with the web series Inside Edge , followed by a stellar performance as MC Sher in Gully Boy, which turned him into an overnight sensation. Today, Siddhant has an impressive lineup of films, including 'Gehraiyaan', ' Bunty Aur Babli 2 ', and more. Siddhant Chaturvedi's Sleek Monochrome Look
