Siddharth Reveals 'Indian 2' Character Is Closest To His Real-Life Persona: 'I Will Never Forget...'

Siddharth is reuniting with director Shankar for ‘Indian 2’, fifteen years after their initial collaboration on the 2003 film ‘Boys’. In a special interview with IndiaToday.in, Siddharth shared that his role in ‘Indian 2’ is the most similar to his true self. He also discussed the invaluable experience of working with the legendary actor Kamal Haasan.

Reflecting on his time working with Kamal Haasan, Siddharth remarked, “I think the best way to work with Kamal sir is to get into the action and not just watch, because he pushes you. On ‘Hindustani 2’, working with him every day on set was an education. I won’t say that it was all him, and we were just watching – we all had our jobs to do. So, my job was [to do] what Shankar sir had given me, and it was important that my love, adoration and awe for him should not get in the way of that performance.”

He added, “To be on a film that talks about being zero tolerant to corruption and speaking about the common man and all of that, I got to see the anger that still lies in Shankar sir’s pen, his direction and sir’s craft, because their concern and their anger is what they channel into this film.”

Referring to his role in the film, he shared, “This particular character is the closest I may have come to my original self in a film. But, Kamal sir has also always shown us that you should be the furthest away from your actual self. That’s what good acting is – you become something, you become another living person. It was very helpful that it’s similar to me. But, the scale of the film and the scope of the performance are very large. I will never forget this experience.”

After nearly two decades, director S Shankar and Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan team up again for the sequel to their 1996 cult classic vigilante film. The trailer opens with a series of crimes and scandals unfolding nationwide, voiced over by a woman highlighting current issues like unemployment, high taxes and inadequate services. Siddharth’s character then challenges complainers to take action while recalling his childhood hero, Senapathy (played by Kamal Haasan), a once-powerful vigilante who now appears to have withdrawn to the mountains.

But soon, he fights back against wealthy businessmen and others he sees as causing harm to the country. Engaging in intense fights, he also uses disguises to outsmart his enemies. When Siddharth’s character questions him about going against his own honesty principles, Senapathy insists they must fight to save the nation. He suggests Siddharth’s character can take a Gandhian approach, while he follows a more aggressive path inspired by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Shankar and Haasan are also planning big surprises for the audiences through the campaign of India 2 to position the film as the biggest cinematic event of the year. That apart, a crisp theatrical trailer for Indian 3 will be attached to the end credits of Indian 2. The source further disclosed that the team also intends to announce the release of the third film of the franchise during the Indian 2 promotions to amplify the buzz further. Meanwhile, the trailer cut of Indian 3 has also been finalised. It is currently in the post-production stage.

Kamal Haasan starrer Indian, a 1996 cult film, was a Pan India blockbuster. Nearly three decades later, the dynamic duo of Haasan and Shankar are reuniting with Indian 2 to rekindle the magic. Besides the Vikram actor, the film also stars SJ Suryah, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh, Nedumudi Venu, and Kalidas Jayaram.