It’s almost three months since Siddhant Chaturvedi roared on screen as MC Sher (Shrikant Bisht) in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy. When we got an opportunity to chat with him, our de rigueur question of what he’s been up to was answered with, “Khaali baitha hoon!” followed by hearty laughter. The young actor then said, “This is the calm before the storm,” alluding to the fact that he’s ready to break a leg in Bollywood. Even as he’s been busy reading scripts, the cascade of compliments for his turn as an underground rapper who mentors Ranveer Singh’s character Murad refuses to ebb since the movie recently released on an OTT platform. “Every day, I have about a 1,000 new direct messages on social media,” Siddhant enthuses. What’s more, he diligently replies to as many as he can and doesn’t post a new update until he has done that.

NO PRESSURE TO PERFORM

While all the adulation has been overwhelming for the boy, the one thing he has still not got over is the bouquet of flowers and a personal note given to him by Hindi cinema’s icon, Amitabh Bachchan. “That made me feel like I gave my 100 per cent to the role,” Siddhant states. But does all the hype also mean more pressure to live up to the reputation hereon? “There always was immense pressure — working on the first film with big filmmakers such as Zoya, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, acting alongside Ranveer and Alia Bhatt, rapping (which I knew nothing about) and shining in my debut. But that’s what keeps me going. I don’t like doing things the easy way. I want to take up roles that will be difficult to portray.”

BECOMING AN ACTOR BEFORE A HERO

When Siddhant entered the industry, he came with the dream of being launched like a typical Bollywood ‘hero’. However, a couple of years down the line, he realised that times were changing and he had to up the ante. He says, “The days of people being ‘launched’ as a typical hero are gone. I think Ranveer was the last conqueror of launch pads.

“And that’s what has happened. I’ve got noticed with a strong performance. It used to be about Bollywood for me earlier, but now it’s about cinema,” Siddhant reasons. That made him turn down a number of offers, even though he would have been the lead in them. “One thing I learnt during my struggling days was that you have to learn to say no. If I don’t like something, I’d rather not do it,” he elaborates. As for his upcoming works, he wants to pick projects that are exciting for him as well as the audiences and will have a social message, impact or value. “And I won’t let you down,” he assures.

STAYING GROUNDED

Siddhant is still basking in the glory of his Bollywood debut. He says without missing a beat, “I love the attention. It’s coming from kids, elderly people, girls and boys alike. It’s overwhelming and I know it’s easy to get carried away. But I plan to keep working hard and not let it get to my head.”

For him, not letting success spoil him is the same as not allowing his lean phase to bog him down. “There was a time when there were no producers, no films and no fans. I didn’t have anyone telling me that I had to make it here. I did it instinctively,” he reminisces. Not getting a swollen head is just as inherent. “This is what I’ve worked so hard for in the last five years and now I have it. I’m happier that I have reached somewhere. Pehle yeh sukoon nahin tha,” avers the self-confessed ambitious guy. He’s also aware how fickle the industry is. “I’ve been here for a while now. I know there are so many pressures and egos to deal with but I’m prepared for it. I don’t let it affect me or take it back home.” On an off-chance it does, “I talk to my parents and they calm me down. They say I should keep working hard and stay humble.”

WORK IN PROGRESS

There were rumours of a spin-off of the film and MC Sher’s solo story. “Yeah, I heard these things and immediately thought, Zoya didn’t discuss anything during our last meeting,” he laughs, adding, “There’s no such project. Bas janta ka pyaar hai. But Gully Boy 2 might happen because Zoya said she was keen on making something.”

As for scripts, contrary to what Siddhant anticipated, he hasn’t been offered a character similar to MC Sher yet, though people still mistake him for a real rapper. He is being approached for gritty and alpha male kind of characters. “I’ve to tell them that I’m 25 and want to play someone my age right now because five-six years down the line, I will not be able to play them.” He will next be seen in the second season of Inside Edge this October-November. He then plans to take a break from web series for a couple of years to focus on films.

As a parting shot, he says, “I don’t want to just co-exist. If I’m here, I want to bring some change in the industry.”