5 things about Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra – ex-boyfriend of Alia Bhatt – that may surprise you
He has dated famous Bollywood starlet Alia Bhatt and been romantically linked to Tara Sutaria and Kiara Advani, but there’s much more to Sidharth Malhotra than being a silver screen idol
You may have seen Sidharth Malhotra in some Bollywood hits, including Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), the thriller Ek Villain (2014) and the drama Kapoor & Sons (2016). But how much do you really know about the 34-year-old actor? What we found out may surprise you.
There’s no superstar who’s not had bad films. It’s part of the journey
1. He was a model, but grew tired of the profession
At the tender age of only 18, Malhotra began a career as a model. Many dream of modelling for Roberto Cavalli or walking the runways in Milan, New York and Paris – and Malhotra achieved all of these goals in the four years that he was a model. He also took part in the 2007 Gladrags Megamodel Manhunt pageant, where he was the second runner-up, and snatched up the titles of “Mr Photogenic” and “Mr Internet Popularity”. By the time he was 22, however, he had begun to grow bored with the modelling lifestyle and turned his focus to his real goal: acting.
2. His career as an actor did not get off to a smooth start
When Malhotra auditioned for a project of Anubhav Sinha’s, he got the role, but the project was shelved before they even got to shoot. Following this, he got to work in the 2010 film My Name Is Khan – but not as an actor! Instead, he worked alongside Karan Johar as an assistant director. This opportunity allowed him to gain valuable knowledge of the film industry, and he was finally able to make use of it when he snagged a lead role in the 2012 film Student of the Year. It seemed like the perfect road to success – the next year, he won the Most Promising Debut Male award in the well-known Stardust Awards.
3. He is involved in charities