Rajeev Siddhartha is portraying diverse characters on screen and loving it
He is slowly, but surely climbing the ladder of success. Rajeev Siddhartha, who began his career in 2007 with the film Dil Dosti, has created a mark with the murder mystery series Honeymoon Photographer, as also the Netflix film Love, Sitara.
Essaying the role of Rihen in the six-episode series in the former, an intricate web of deceit and quest for truth, he says, “When I first read the script of Honeymoon Photographer, I was interested in my role because of the complex nature of the character. He had grey shades and I thought it would be fun to play such a character filled with angst. I enjoyed essaying the part, as once one of the actors said he was scared of me, which I thought was a very good compliment — it meant I was totally in the zone as the character.”
Having essayed the role of one of the antagonists in Anil Kapoor’s 24, Rajeev has also starred in Jolly LLB. He has been a part of many a web series, including Four More Shots Please!, Hundred, Aashram, Marzi and the Netflix original film Upstarts. He believes each role presents a different challenge. “I always wanted to be an actor, that kind of actor who can play a range of characters. When I got an opportunity in Honeymoon Photographer, I was really excited. I love murder mysteries, I like thrillers,” he beams.
In the film Love, Sitara, Rajeev plays a chef, a role for which he trained hard for one-and-a-half months at the Farzi Cafe in Mumbai. “Since there are cooking and plating shots in the film, it was necessary to undergo the training. It was a joy living this character,” he says.
His views on what differentiate theatre, films, television series and web series is as clear as water, as he believes all mediums require honesty in acting. “Theatre gives you more time to prepare and because you have to reach out to the whole auditorium, you have to project your voice. Otherwise, you have to be honest in all the mediums for a good performance,” he shares.
As for the pressure of audience expectations, especially when stepping into a new and different role, he keeps it simple, “Do everything with utmost honesty and then surrender the rest to the audience. If there is sincerity, honesty and passion in what you do, you are bound to succeed. I used to take a lot of stress earlier in life, but now I realise there’s no point in getting nervous about expectations. I have done my best, the team has done their best and hopefully the audience will like it. So, I’m just grateful for every opportunity.”
What about his biggest inspirations in life? “Balraj Sahni, Naseeruddin Shah and Irrfan Khan. Witnessing their work, I always feel inspired and motivated to give my best.”
To the young actors out there, “Never quit. You have to be mentally very strong and persevere. More than talent, more than everything, it’s just determination, which I would say that every actor, every person who wants to become an actor, should have in abundance.” Makes sense!
