An MBA by qualification, Siddhant was never the kid who frequented his father’s sets while growing up. A studious student, he was interested in academics and wanted to build career on that. It was an incidental participation in a personality contest that fired the interest in theater in him… and the rest, as they say, is history.
“The recognition that it got me kind of left me wanting for more…” Siddhant admits. “I joined the theater group of Nadira Zaheer Babbar, Ekjute. That was the beginning of theater career for me. I learnt the basics of theater from Nadira madam.”
It was a big jump for Siddhant when the Sagar family, who had produced the original Ramayan series on Doordarshan, offered him the role of Shri Ram in their web series. “It was an honour,” confesses Siddhant. “And it was a learning. Deepika madam, who played Sita in the original series, played my mother in the web series. She helped me with the shades of the character.”
However, it was the Ram Leela in Delhi that really helped him shape the character and understand the underlying nuances. “I played Ram in the Ram Leela in Delhi, the oldest one there,” says Siddhant. “That was a mind-blowing experience. More than 50 thousand came every night to witness the show. For them all of it was real. They did an aarti of the cast every night after the show!” he adds. “I learnt more about Ram and Ramayan than I ever did during those days. The cast and crew breathed Ramayan. They knew smallest stories of Ram, that are not so popular. Their study was in-depth. And that helped me comprehend a lot.”
It was a realisation and revelation when Siddhant was told not to wear the Indian paduka style shoes that he had made to wear with his vanwaas outfit. He was told that Shri Ram will not wear anything in the forests as his paduka were given away to Bharat and there was no way he could have got a new pair in forest. “They revere the Lord Ram and even the person who plays the character. I have had kids come up to me and ask for blessings for their exams!”
Siddhant has helped his father write this play as well. “This is different from the earlier Ravan ki Ramayan, that dad presented. This is Ram’s perspective and more of a love story of Ram and Sita.”
Is he nervous before the play? “Yes. Because one just cannot afford to go wrong while playing Ram. Ram is a consecrated character. People’s emotions are connected. Maintaining the sanctity is extremely important. I just hope I manage to do justice to the role…” Siddhant concluded.
