'I used to get scripts where I’m slapping women, doing item songs': Siddharth reveals why he missed out on stardom

Siddharth recently revealed why he chose to avoid roles that showcased toxic masculinity on big screens. Read on to know more.

By Anjali Choudhury

Published on Jan 29, 2025 | 10:00 AM IST | 16.4K

'Used to get scripts where I’m slapping women': Siddharth on why he missed out on stardom (PC: Siddharth Instagram)

Siddharth is known for speaking his mind and not twisting his words when addressing people. During the Hyderabad Literary Festival, the actor spoke with Vidya Rao, Aditi Rao Hydari's mother, and discussed why he missed out on stardom. He shared that he avoided roles that showcased toxic masculinity, which may have cost him some scripts.

Siddharth openly admitted that rejecting certain roles meant he couldn’t rise as a commercial film hero. He mentioned receiving scripts where he would have been required to slap women or make demeaning comments to them. However, he turned them down. The actor acknowledged that taking those roles might have made him a bigger movie star.

"I used to get scripts where I’m slapping women, doing item songs, pinching somebody’s navel, telling a woman what she should do, where she should go, etc. I rejected them outright. Of course, I might be a far bigger movie star today if I was differently wired," he said.

However, Siddharth went on to say that he followed his instincts and rejected what didn’t align with his values. He also expressed that he valued people understanding his intentions. The actor further shared how rewarding it felt to hear people say he was respectful to women and kind to kids. He was pleased that children could still enjoy his films from 15 years ago.

"Today, people tell me I was respectful to women, I was good to parents, I was good with kids, and I looked cute. Their kids can watch my films from 15 years ago," Siddharth said.

During the conversation, the actor shared that his journey felt like a personal battle and highlighted how the industry often promoted aggressive roles, while he was comfortable showing vulnerability.

Moving forward, Siddharth was last seen in the movie titled Miss You. The film received mixed responses and performed moderately at the box office. On the other hand, he is set to feature in the Kamal Haasan starrer Indian 3.