‘After I did my first film, I thought I would be the next Shah Rukh Khan’
Ssharad Malhotra talks about the insecurities that an actor faces, how he bounced back after a low and why he is marriage-phobic
Television’s charming actor Ssharad Malhotra has nothing to hide. In fact, there is never an ‘offthe-record’ statement that he makes. “My life is an open book. It’s out there for everyone to see,” he tells us, as we sit down for a chat. Ssharad started his acting career with the show, Banoo Main Teri Dulhann. He has had an interesting journey in tellyland and has seen it all — the highs, the lows, the depression and the bouncing back. Here, he tells us what keeps him going...
Your show Kasam has just wrapped up, but the question ‘what next’ must be already on your mind. Would you agree that television actors go through a lot of insecurities, whether they are doing well or not?
Absolutely! I can brag about the fact that over the years, I have had three hit shows back to back, but then, I know that tomorrow is a new day and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I might have to sit at home for a while. And that’s not easy, because you may have bought a house and you have instalments to pay. If you’ve done well for yourself and made investments, then that takes care of your instalments. You may also have your savings, but then you are eating out of that. So yes, it definitely gives me the jitters and there are times when I freak out. But then people tell me, ‘Arre tujhe kaam nahin milega, yeh kaise ho sakta hai? You will get something brilliant.’ But then, till that ‘brilliant’ comes to the table, there is always insecurity. Also, the kind of person that I am, I am never happy with just one project on hand. I want to make a choice between, say a thriller, drama or comedy. In that sense, I am choosy, but then right now, I know I can be that way. Earlier, I couldn’t, but today, I can wait for the right offer to come my way.
It’s a tough life, so would you recommend the profession to someone close to you?
Not at all. It looks very rosy from outside. Unless you are sure and very passionate, you should not get into it. I have a lot of people who come and ask me about how they can get into acting; I advise them to first get some professional training, then mentally prepare for the highs and the lows, and only then take the step. I had no work for four years after my first show, which was a hit. That’s because I did a one-year course at New York Film Academy and when I returned, everything had changed here and the people I knew had moved jobs. It was tough. But some time later, I bagged my first film. It was an A-list film in terms of production values, shooting abroad and locations, and I thought to myself, ‘Yeh film chal gayi toh gadi chal jayegi’. I thought I would be the next Shah Rukh Khan. But the film didn’t click and that was a huge setback.
SSHARAD MALHOTRA
I have been off relationships after a decade: Ssharad Malhotra
I was in depression. I went in for counselling and also started meeting a lot of people, trying to feel better. I was in a relationship and that helped me a lot.
Did you think of switching careers?
That thought came to my mind too. Just when I was thinking on those lines, the TV show Maharana Pratap came my way. That did well and within a month after that ended, I bagged Kasam which also had a good run. Now I’m waiting for something interesting to come my way. Along with TV, films are also on my mind.
Recently, you’ve been in the news for your personal life. Your break-up with actress Pooja Bisht after two years of being together made headlines. Are you commitment-phobic because even in your previous relationship with Divyanka Tripathi, this was an issue?
I think I am marriage-phobic. If I have been with someone for two years or seven years, clearly I am not commitment-phobic. I am with the person, I love the person and it’s all hunky-dory. In all my relationships, I have had some great moments, it’s been fantastic. We have also fought like cats and dogs, but the kind of family I come from, I know where to draw the line. In a relationship, you have your good times and then you experience the bump and you don’t know how to react. The topic of marriage comes up and you start stepping back and your partner wonders why. I don’t blame them; they are right in feeling that way. Like I have said in the past, the fault is probably mine. I always fall short of taking that final step and that’s something I need to rectify. I have to really work on that.
Recently on a celebrity chat show on TV, Divyanka Tripathi got emotional while talking about the break-up...
There’s not much I can say except that it was a beautiful relationship. But when the word ‘marriage’ popped up, I developed cold feet. It was a long time ago and I was quite immature. One gradually matures with time and experience. Yes, I have made mistakes. As human beings, we all make mistakes. I realise that now but unfortunately, it’s five years down the line. I should have realised it then, but no hard feelings. We have both moved on. She looks very happy and I wish her the very best.
Can exes be friends?
Surely. Why can’t exes be friends? Not immediately maybe, but after a certain amount of time.
Are you friends with your exes?
I would love to (laughs). It would be nice to see how their lives are now, of course, without intruding much.
Talking about marriage, you have said that your mother is keen on you tying the knot soon...
I come from a typical Punjabi family and my mom has been after me for a while now. Every time we have a conversation, she says, ‘Bas ho gaya. I’m sending you some pictures. Have a look and let me know.’ I tell her it doesn’t work that way. I have changed a lot in the last 12 years after I moved from Kolkata to Mumbai. I have lived by myself. I’m so independent now, travelling and working. I’m sure a lot of people will relate to this... after you have been on your own for long, when someone starts intruding into your space, you tend to push that person out. But I know that I have to change. I tell myself that at some point, I will get married and there will be somebody with me in the same space, in the same house. My friends have been after me too, to take the plunge. They say that they want to celebrate and get new clothes (laughs). I tell them I’ll do it not for their reasons, but when I think the time is right.
Are you open to an arranged marriage?
Yes, why not? The whole process of getting to know someone post marriage is so intriguing.
At the moment, you are clearly enjoying your singledom?
I have been off relationships after a decade. People have been telling me that I am looking relaxed, fresh and younger. Life is different. I now have a lot of ‘me’ time and I am enjoying that. Recently, I even went on a solo trip abroad to discover the real me. It was amazing.
Ssharad Malhotra talks about the insecurities that an actor faces, how he bounced back after a low and why he is marriage-phobic
Television’s charming actor Ssharad Malhotra has nothing to hide. In fact, there is never an ‘offthe-record’ statement that he makes. “My life is an open book. It’s out there for everyone to see,” he tells us, as we sit down for a chat. Ssharad started his acting career with the show, Banoo Main Teri Dulhann. He has had an interesting journey in tellyland and has seen it all — the highs, the lows, the depression and the bouncing back. Here, he tells us what keeps him going...
Your show Kasam has just wrapped up, but the question ‘what next’ must be already on your mind. Would you agree that television actors go through a lot of insecurities, whether they are doing well or not?
Absolutely! I can brag about the fact that over the years, I have had three hit shows back to back, but then, I know that tomorrow is a new day and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I might have to sit at home for a while. And that’s not easy, because you may have bought a house and you have instalments to pay. If you’ve done well for yourself and made investments, then that takes care of your instalments. You may also have your savings, but then you are eating out of that. So yes, it definitely gives me the jitters and there are times when I freak out. But then people tell me, ‘Arre tujhe kaam nahin milega, yeh kaise ho sakta hai? You will get something brilliant.’ But then, till that ‘brilliant’ comes to the table, there is always insecurity. Also, the kind of person that I am, I am never happy with just one project on hand. I want to make a choice between, say a thriller, drama or comedy. In that sense, I am choosy, but then right now, I know I can be that way. Earlier, I couldn’t, but today, I can wait for the right offer to come my way.
It’s a tough life, so would you recommend the profession to someone close to you?
Not at all. It looks very rosy from outside. Unless you are sure and very passionate, you should not get into it. I have a lot of people who come and ask me about how they can get into acting; I advise them to first get some professional training, then mentally prepare for the highs and the lows, and only then take the step. I had no work for four years after my first show, which was a hit. That’s because I did a one-year course at New York Film Academy and when I returned, everything had changed here and the people I knew had moved jobs. It was tough. But some time later, I bagged my first film. It was an A-list film in terms of production values, shooting abroad and locations, and I thought to myself, ‘Yeh film chal gayi toh gadi chal jayegi’. I thought I would be the next Shah Rukh Khan. But the film didn’t click and that was a huge setback.
SSHARAD MALHOTRA
I have been off relationships after a decade: Ssharad Malhotra
I was in depression. I went in for counselling and also started meeting a lot of people, trying to feel better. I was in a relationship and that helped me a lot.
Did you think of switching careers?
That thought came to my mind too. Just when I was thinking on those lines, the TV show Maharana Pratap came my way. That did well and within a month after that ended, I bagged Kasam which also had a good run. Now I’m waiting for something interesting to come my way. Along with TV, films are also on my mind.
Recently, you’ve been in the news for your personal life. Your break-up with actress Pooja Bisht after two years of being together made headlines. Are you commitment-phobic because even in your previous relationship with Divyanka Tripathi, this was an issue?
I think I am marriage-phobic. If I have been with someone for two years or seven years, clearly I am not commitment-phobic. I am with the person, I love the person and it’s all hunky-dory. In all my relationships, I have had some great moments, it’s been fantastic. We have also fought like cats and dogs, but the kind of family I come from, I know where to draw the line. In a relationship, you have your good times and then you experience the bump and you don’t know how to react. The topic of marriage comes up and you start stepping back and your partner wonders why. I don’t blame them; they are right in feeling that way. Like I have said in the past, the fault is probably mine. I always fall short of taking that final step and that’s something I need to rectify. I have to really work on that.
Recently on a celebrity chat show on TV, Divyanka Tripathi got emotional while talking about the break-up...
There’s not much I can say except that it was a beautiful relationship. But when the word ‘marriage’ popped up, I developed cold feet. It was a long time ago and I was quite immature. One gradually matures with time and experience. Yes, I have made mistakes. As human beings, we all make mistakes. I realise that now but unfortunately, it’s five years down the line. I should have realised it then, but no hard feelings. We have both moved on. She looks very happy and I wish her the very best.
Can exes be friends?
Surely. Why can’t exes be friends? Not immediately maybe, but after a certain amount of time.
Are you friends with your exes?
I would love to (laughs). It would be nice to see how their lives are now, of course, without intruding much.
Talking about marriage, you have said that your mother is keen on you tying the knot soon...
I come from a typical Punjabi family and my mom has been after me for a while now. Every time we have a conversation, she says, ‘Bas ho gaya. I’m sending you some pictures. Have a look and let me know.’ I tell her it doesn’t work that way. I have changed a lot in the last 12 years after I moved from Kolkata to Mumbai. I have lived by myself. I’m so independent now, travelling and working. I’m sure a lot of people will relate to this... after you have been on your own for long, when someone starts intruding into your space, you tend to push that person out. But I know that I have to change. I tell myself that at some point, I will get married and there will be somebody with me in the same space, in the same house. My friends have been after me too, to take the plunge. They say that they want to celebrate and get new clothes (laughs). I tell them I’ll do it not for their reasons, but when I think the time is right.
Are you open to an arranged marriage?
Yes, why not? The whole process of getting to know someone post marriage is so intriguing.
At the moment, you are clearly enjoying your singledom?
I have been off relationships after a decade. People have been telling me that I am looking relaxed, fresh and younger. Life is different. I now have a lot of ‘me’ time and I am enjoying that. Recently, I even went on a solo trip abroad to discover the real me. It was amazing.
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