Sidharth Malhotra stands for that classic Bollywood dream, where a rank outsider comes to Mumbai, and over time, builds a name for himself. Ten years in the industry and some hits later, the actor is chasing one thing — versatility. “An actor strives for love. We aren’t chasing box-office numbers,” he says, ahead of his Diwali release, Thank God. “When 10 years after a film releases, people know your dialogues, you feel satisfied. In the past decade, the one thing that hasn’t changed about me is that I am never happy with my takes. I like to know that I can do better. When I see my filmography, I tell myself, ‘Let’s pick different genres.’ I don’t want any two of my characters to look the same. I have consciously worked towards that. But then again, no one knows how this business works.”

A still from the film