From being a YouTuber to an actor, Sahil Khattar has done it all. The popular YouTuber made his acting debut in the much-acclaimed movie 83, where he portrayed the role of cricketer Syed Kirmani. Currently, he is working on a web series, a film, and a lot of YouTube-branded content that will be carried on OTT.
Sahil started off on YouTube and Instagram when it was a new medium of entertainment in India. Talking about social media becoming 'mainstream' Sahil says, "Earlier, everybody used to look down upon digital content. Ad filmmakers used to say 'Ye Kya Hai'. And then YouTube started giving some great returns to YouTubers, and as a result, became mainstream. Everybody started following us and started liking the content. Right now we are under the Instagram wave, so you know a lot of YouTubers might look down upon Instagrammers and say 'Ye Kya Hai, Ye Koi Content Thodi Hai'."
"I personally respect all the mediums, I am glad that I was able to raise the bar at every medium. Right from digital to TV, to films and series. I am just glad that there are no lines there anymore. Anyone can do anything. Yes! but when it comes to mainstream filmmaking, that's a closed clan. So for that, the lines are always going to be blurred. So apart from that, I feel the medium has evolved in a great way," he added on the evolution of social media.
Talking about his shift to acting, Sahil says that "it doesn't feel like settling for something less after you've attained a particular level. I feel like I should just carry on performing. We have achieved the myth level of influence, therefore, it goes without saying that I will be creating a lot of content. I am going to act a lot as long as good roles come my way, that is for sure."
Sahil is currently enjoying his stint as an actor. "I have all my eggs in the acting basket, and hosting has taken a backseat for a bit because I really want to focus on my craft, my positioning as one of the good actors, and on being one of the rarest Youtubers who knows how to act," says Sahil.
The actor has received positive reviews for both of his movies, 83 and 200-Halla Ho. Sahil shares his experience of working on such big films, "My experience in both projects has been amazing. 83 has been an out-of-body experience. Playing in Lord's with such a fabulous star cast with Ranveer Singh was fun. 83 with Kabir Khan has been one of the biggest learning experiences, and I learned a lot while on the shoot. It has been really amazing. In 200 Halla Ho, I played a serial killer who used to molest a lot of women. So to get into the skin of the character, I spent a lot of hours watching those serial killer interviews, and the content on OTT and digital. I also stopped joking the whole day to get into the skin of the character. "
Talking about his co-actor Ranveer Singh, he said, "Ranveer is like my younger brother, we joked a lot and had a lot of fun. We ended up calling each other many names, like Papa, Beta, brother, and more. He knows that I only come from a place of love and respect, and I look up to him."
With 117K subscribers, Sahil's Youtube channel, 'Khattarnak' is pretty popular among youngsters. "I would love to meet all the bald guys who have made it big. The Rock, Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, Pit Bull, Andrew Tate and then me. I mean, this is such a kickass podcast idea," says Sahil on the idea of having these people on his channel someday.
Talking about his dream Bollywood director, Sahil says, "I don't have a list of directors or actors, but if Rohit Shetty wants to make a film about a bald cop, I would love to play that role. And it will be an even bigger honour if that film is dedicated to his father. I will be honoured to be the guy to pull off a Rock, Jason Statham or Vin Diesel in India, as I am great in action and comic timing. And star in a Rohit Shetty cop universe."
Sahil will next be seen in a web series and a film, as well as a slew of YouTube-branded content that will be available on OTT. "There is a special web series coming up very soon. So, I'm really excited about that," Sahil signs off.
