Whether films bear a sense of moral responsibility and not glorify toxicity continues to be a major talking point. It, in a way, began with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh. And while his second Bollywood outing Animal emerged as a blockbuster success, a certain section of netizens called the Ranbir Kapoor starrer out for its blatant glorification of misogyny and toxic masculinity, thus adding to the post-Kabir Singh discourse.
In Siddhant Chaturvedi’s next film Yudhra, his character also suffers from temperamental issues and wreaks havoc by resorting to intense violence and bloodshed, as is evident from its first trailer. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, he shares his stance on the portrayal versus glorification of problematic characters and whether films should have a moral compass. “As an actor, I’m conscious about the choices I make," he tells us.
The Gehraiyaan and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan actor further continues, “Sometimes, you need to understand your own responsibility and the consequences that doing a film like that can have. It’s a very dual situation. You know that there are people like that [who get impacted after watching a film]. If I get a script like that, it’s up to me if I should decide to do it. That’s an answer that lies with me."
A while back, Shah Rukh Khan, while talking about playing negative characters, said that they should face suffering and death as a result of their actions. In a similar vein, Siddhant explains that though the idea is to explore different shades of characters, he still wants to be careful. “If you play a part like that, you know that it can have an effect on some people. All of it comes with responsibility and I’m truly conscious of the choices that I make. If my character is doing something, there should be consequences or there needs to be a confession or redemption. I wouldn’t be comfortable otherwise," he says.
He attributes it to the upbringing that he has had. “I might enjoy watching such films but everything has to come with consequences. I won’t promote anything wrong. Agar mujhe lagta hai ki yeh nahi hona chahiye, I won’t do it. Having said that, I usually keep my opinions to myself. People can watch anything they like. But I feel that if I had that choice, I would rather exercise my conscience. I would want to make these calls keeping my world and upbringing in mind," Siddhant states.
A part of this also stems from working with Zoya Akhtar during Gully Boy and the impact that her sensibilities had on him. “I believe I have a responsibility because my first film was with Zoya Akhtar, the most wonderful director and the most beautiful woman. It’s her schooling that has also shaped me. MC Sher, in a way, was a feminist. I just can’t do a film without thinking about what it can cause. I stay with my mom and family and there are certain things that I can’t and won’t be able to do onscreen," Siddhant remarks.
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