Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) Director Siddharth P. Malhotra, who is known for ‘Hichki, ‘Maharaj’, and ‘Ikka’, has shared his experience of working with actors from across generations.
He has worked with some of the finest actors of India including Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kajol, Sunny Deol and Jaideep Ahlawat. The director heaped praise on Jaideep, and said that the latter comes fully-prepared on sets.
Sharing his experience of working with a wide range of actors, he told IANS, “One of the greatest joys of filmmaking is that every actor comes with a completely different process, and as a director, part of your job is understanding that process and adapting to it. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Take Rani, for example. She’s an incredibly instinctive actor. On ‘Hichki’, she spent a lot of time understanding Tourette Syndrome, understanding the character, and just as importantly, understanding what was in my head as a director. We’d spend hours discussing how a scene should feel rather than how it should be performed. Once she internalized the character and found her rhythm, she became incredibly spontaneous. She’s not someone who enjoys endless rehearsals. Once she’s there emotionally, it’s often one or two takes and she’s done something magical”.
He further mentioned, “On the other hand, someone like Neeraj Kabi loves preparation and rehearsal. He likes knowing every line, every beat, every nuance before stepping onto the floor. That’s his process, and it’s equally fascinating to watch. Kajol is pure instinct. The camera comes on and she’s magic. The camera goes off and she’s laughing, reading a book, completely detached from the intensity of the scene she just delivered. Kareena is similarly spontaneous but in a very different way. She’ll surprise you with variations and instincts that are uniquely hers. There isn’t a heavy method process, but there is tremendous confidence and star instinct”.
He shared that Jaideep immerses him in the world of the character, and wants to understand the politics of the place, the climate, the social environment, the ideology, the backstory, the psychology of his character.
He shared, “Then you have actors like Jaideep Ahlawat, who immerse themselves deeply in the world of the character. He wants to understand everything, the politics of the place, the climate, the social environment, the ideology, the backstory, the psychology. By the time he arrives on set, he’s done all the homework. Then he becomes a wonderful director’s actor because once the foundation is built, he’s completely collaborative. Working with newcomers is a very different responsibility altogether. With Junaid in ‘Maharaj’, I felt a director’s role is not just to guide but to protect. Experienced actors know instinctively what to do and what not to do. A newcomer is still discovering that. My responsibility was to create an environment where he could succeed, highlight his strengths and ensure that he was presented in the best possible way. The same applied to Sharvari and Shalini in different ways”.
He feels that it is important to give actors the freedom while also providing a strong framework and support system.
He went on, “Then there are actors like Sunny Sir, whose trust is extraordinary. He would understand the scene, understand the emotional logic and then completely commit to the director’s vision. That level of trust is a gift. Akshaye Khanna is similarly wonderful to work with, but he likes clarity. Once he understands the scene, he’s often a one-take or two-take actor. If you’re asking for another take, he’d want to know why, and rightly so. It keeps you sharp as a director because you need to have complete conviction in your choices. And then actors like Tilotama or Dia, who enjoy exploring character histories and emotional backstories, finding the layers that may never even appear on screen but help inform every moment. What I’ve learned over the years is that directing actors is less about imposing a process and more about understanding each individual’s process”.
“Every actor is different, every collaboration is different, and that’s what keeps it exciting. You’re constantly learning, constantly adapting. Ultimately, the magic happens somewhere between preparation and surprise. My job is to create an environment where actors feel safe enough to explore, challenge themselves and take risks. When that happens, something extraordinary can emerge—something neither the actor nor the director could have created alone. That’s still the most rewarding part of filmmaking for me”, he added.
Meanwhile, ‘Ikka’ is set to stream on July 10, 2026 on Netflix.
–IANS
aa/
