Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra, whose recent release Yodha is having a good run at the box office, spoke about challenges faced by him while shooting for action scenes, his inclination to portray real life heroes on screen and dealing with mental health at the NDTV's Yuva - Youth For Change mega conclave held in New Delhi today. On being asked about his preparation before doing an action scene especially the ones shot inside an aircraft in his recent film Yodha, the Shershaah star told NDTV, "It's not easy to pretend on camera, maybe dialogues at times but when you are doing some action, whatever action it might be, it has to look convincing. So, for Yodha specifically, one had to look and train like a commando and it was something that did not happen overnight. We had an action team that trained you months in advance. I personally wanted to go leaner as most of our current commandos are so i did lose weight for the character."
He continued, "I personally like being more physically active. I get every agitated if i don't sweat within the day. For me to be convincing as a character is very important. We wanted to push the limits of action, hand to hand combat."
When asked about whether he performed the action stunts in Yodha himself, Sidharth Malhotra chuckled and said, "All the stunts in Yodha are all me. Not much of CGI was used in the film."
On dealing with mental health while being an actor, Sidharth said, "We have deadlines and give exams every Friday( at the box office). Stress is something unavoidable but you have to be in your lane, the moment you start looking left or right, you are a second late. Focusing on yourself is most important."
"I would be a adventure sport trailer or coach if not an actor," also revealed the actor during his chat with NDTV.
On being asked to leave a message for the youth aspiring to make a name in the film industry, Sidharth called his earlier days in the industry when he had to work as an assistant director for two years before landing his debut film in Student Of The Year. He said, "One needs to be strong headed because you would not have answers to everything. Tt is what you are left with in hand and how you make the most of it. If you keep at it then one day your obstacles will change into a opportunities."
Speaking of NDTV's Yuva - Youth For Change mega, Union Minister for Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur was the chief guest at the event and talked about harnessing the power of youth in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The event also featured discussions with Bollywood actors Alaya F, Sidharth Malhotra, singer Jasleen Royal and panel discussions with social media influencers Divija Bhasin and Dr Cuterus among many others.