The India Film Project (IFP), one of the biggest global festivals that celebrates creativity and culture, kicked off its 15th edition on November 29 at Mehboob Studio in Mumbai. With exciting sessions and a buzzing crowd, one of the most anticipated conversations of the day was actor Siddhant Chaturvedi’s session titled Rooted in Reality. In this candid chat with Vaibhav Munjal, Siddhant spoke honestly about his journey, Indian cinema today, and why telling stories of real India matters more than ever.
The actor, known for Gully Boy and Gehraiyaan, set the tone early by addressing today’s entertainment ecosystem. When asked whether actors today feel competition from content creators, Siddhant didn’t hesitate. “If you are saying that we have competition, yes, we do,” he said. But instead of seeing this as a threat, he connected it to cinema’s long history of star power. “Back in the day, we had so many leading stars – Bachchan Saab, Dharamji, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Shammi ji, Rishi ji, Sanjeev Kumar. Even then, there was competition to hold attention. Because there was no other medium. But I feel a good film will always sustain, and good content will always stay with you.”
Siddhant then shifted focus to a challenge that worries him deeply, the lack of access for writers from smaller cities. For him, the problem isn’t talent, but opportunity. “The writers are not getting access, as much access as we want. We need stories from the tier 2, tier 3. And not only massy stories, but we need a lot of stories like Laapataa Ladies,” he pointed out. According to him, the industry is still limited to a few pockets of Mumbai, which blocks diversity in storytelling. “Those writers are not getting access because the whole industry is concentrated in Bombay. And in Bombay also, it’s Juhu, Bandra, or max Andheri. So if a writer from Bhopal, Gwalior, Ballia, or Banaras comes here, I don’t think he’ll get access. Because maybe he doesn’t know English.”
He then spoke about why audiences sometimes don’t relate to mainstream Hindi films anymore. His argument was simple but sharp: language. “Today, Hindi actors and actresses, whenever there are interviews in Hindi – if you watch any interview – it starts in Hindi. And after saying two lines in Hindi, they don’t even realise when they subconsciously switch to English. So the audience gets disconnected.”
Yet, he remains full of hope because of the younger audience. He praised today’s youth, calling them sharper than ever. “I think Gen Z is the smartest. They can point out the truth. They know if a story is coming from the right passion or truth, or not. I feel our cinema needs to get back to its glory. We need to just have more access to the heartland of India.”
Even in a discussion full of deep thoughts, Siddhant did not forget to bring humour. He had the room laughing as he remembered a fan mixing him up with comedian Samay Raina at an airport. “Suddenly, a guy was looking at me from afar,” Siddhant recalled. The man praised his work, took a selfie, and then said something that confused the actor completely: “Tell me one thing, why did your show shut down?” Siddhant said he explained about Inside Edge 3, but the fan walked away saying to his friend: “Bro, Samay Raina.” The hall burst into laughter, proving how easily Siddhant can switch between depth and comedy.
