Bollywood heartthrob Siddharth Malhotra is now an action hero

The actor on the pleasure and pain of working on an action movie for the first time.

Siddharth Malhotra in Brothers. Empire International Gulf and Fox Star India

He won our hearts in 2012 as Abhi in Karan Johar's love-triangle drama Student of the Year. After playing another loveable character in last year's romantic comedy Hasee Toh Phasee, model-turned-actor Siddharth Malhotra shows us a new side in the upcoming action-drama Brothers. A film by Dharma Productions, it is the official remake of the 2011 Hollywood drama Warrior. Malhotra tells The National about his different roles – from lover boy to action man – and working with superstar Akshay Kumar, his co-star in his latest film.

Was it a challenge working on an action film for the first time?

Well, it’s just the beginning – I have done very little work in this genre. I want to keep on trying to adapt to different genres. The journey so far has been fulfilling. I tried something extremely new and I enjoyed it. I feel I delivered what they wanted, and that gave me the confidence to try out newer things. In the future, hopefully, I will put on new faces and appear in new genres. I want to be adaptable and not be typecast.

Whom do you identify with – the romantic hero or the action hero?

I don’t really lose my temper and I have never actually beaten up anyone. So you can say I am a bit on the softer side. But there are certain situations, like for instance, if I see something ethically wrong, or if someone is misbehaving, that’s when the action hero in me comes out. So you can say I am a bit of both.

What is the best thing that has happened to you since making this film?

I can now [pretend to] scare people off, thanks to all the action training I got. I think there is no match to the skills that you acquire by working with an international team of trainers such as those on Brothers – they came all the way from Los Angeles. They trained me in various forms of martial arts, including Muay Thai, kick-boxing and ju-jitsu. They show you how to use your strength against the opponent. So the knowledge I am taking away from this is not just what's in front of the camera. It will stay with me forever.

A lot of producers may want to take advantage of your new skills and cast you in action films. Is this something you are looking forward to?

Actually Brothers is on another level when it comes to action, so it will take a while for other directors to come up with something so unique. My next two projects are very soft. I'm doing Kapoor and Sons, a film starring Rishi Kapoor, Fawad Khan and Alia Bhatt. Then I am doing a love story with Katrina Kaif. I think action is definitely on the agenda after that. Because to be very honest, it was a genre that I enjoyed very much, and there will always be an audience that will enjoy an entertaining action film. So yeah, action is in my future, I am sure.

What was it like working with superstars such as Akshay Kumar and Jackie Shroff?

It was simply amazing to observe how they handle their stardom and how easy they make it appear. Watching them work was like taking notes on what I need to be in front of the camera and behind the camera.

How many brothers do you have? Will you be watching the movie with them?

My brother is six years older than me. I am really excited about seeing the film with him. I haven’t seen the final edit of the film yet, and in a few days, we will be organising a special screening in Mumbai. In fact, I will also invite my parents and sister-in-law to watch the movie with me.

• Brothers releases in theatres across the UAE today