Sidharth Malhotra was born in Delhi on January 16, 1985, into a middle-class family. His father, Sunil Malhotra, worked in the Merchant Navy, while his mother, Rimma, is a homemaker. He has an elder brother, Harshad, who works in banking. He studied at Don Bosco School and Naval Public School before completing a commerce degree from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.
Coming from a disciplined family, Sidharth initially planned to pursue an MBA and enter the corporate world. Acting was not a career plan he openly discussed. However, he had been interested in films since childhood and would often pose in front of the mirror.
Started modelling at 18
At the age of 18, Sidharth entered the modelling industry. He worked with major brands, appeared in fashion shows and later became part of the international modelling circuit, including work associated with designer Roberto Cavalli.
After spending around four years in modelling, he realised that he wanted to explore acting. He began appearing in advertisements and attending auditions while looking for an opportunity in films.
His first film was shelved
Sidharth’s first major opportunity came when he auditioned for a film being planned by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha. He was selected and signed for the project. However, around six months later, the film was shelved.
The setback meant that his first attempt to enter Bollywood ended before his debut. Instead of giving up, Sidharth decided to continue looking for a way into the industry.
Mumbai brought financial and personal struggles
At around 21, Sidharth moved to Mumbai to pursue acting. His early days in the city were difficult. Along with searching for work, he struggled to find accommodation.
According to his account, landlords refused to rent him a house at different times because he was single, ate non-vegetarian food, belonged to a particular community or was trying to become an actor. His financial situation was also unstable, and he sometimes had to borrow money from his family for rent and deposits.
At one point, even maintaining the minimum balance in his bank account was difficult. His limited budget also affected his daily life. His regular breakfast could be as simple as an egg and sweet potato. When he received a good payment from modelling, he could afford to spend some of it while going out with friends.
Meeting Manish Malhotra changed his path
During his modelling days, Sidharth met fashion designer Manish Malhotra. Their connection eventually helped him reach filmmaker Karan Johar.
There was later speculation about Sidharth’s relationship with Manish, but Sidharth clarified that the designer was not his relative. His modelling connections instead helped him enter the network that eventually took him towards Dharma Productions.
Became an assistant director on My Name Is Khan
After his first film was shelved, Sidharth decided that he wanted to understand filmmaking more closely instead of only attending auditions. Manish Malhotra introduced him to Karan Johar, and he joined the assistant director team of My Name Is Khan.
Varun Dhawan was also working as an assistant director on the film. Sidharth later described this experience as an important form of training for acting. He observed the filmmaking process closely and got the opportunity to watch Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol work on set. He also served as a stand-in for some of their scenes.
This experience eventually led to another major opportunity — his acting debut alongside Varun and Alia Bhatt.
Student of the Year marked his Bollywood debut
In 2012, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt made their Bollywood debuts with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. Sidharth played Abhimanyu Singh.
The film was successful at the box office and gave Sidharth a strong start. He also received a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut. For him, the debut was the realisation of a dream that he had never openly admitted to having as a child.
Ek Villain brought commercial success
In 2014, Sidharth appeared in Hasee Toh Phasee and Ek Villain, two films with very different tones. While Hasee Toh Phasee was a romantic comedy, Ek Villain presented him in a more serious action-drama role.
Ek Villain became a commercial success and increased his recognition. He then appeared in Brothers in 2015, followed by the successful Kapoor & Sons in 2016. However, Baar Baar Dekho did not perform as expected.
A difficult phase followed
Between 2017 and 2019, Sidharth’s career went through a challenging period. He appeared in A Gentleman and Ittefaq in 2017, followed by Aiyaary in 2018 and Jabariya Jodi and Marjaavaan in 2019. Several of these films were classified as flops or below average according to trade figures.
Sidharth has described this as one of the most difficult phases of his career. He said that when an actor is in a lead role, the responsibility for a film’s performance is often placed on their shoulders. For an outsider, he felt this pressure more strongly because there was no ready-made fallback in the industry.
He also acknowledged the mental and emotional pressure that comes with repeated film failures. However, he said that the industry is driven by performance and that his stubbornness helped him continue rather than give up.
Shershaah gave him a new identity
The major turning point came with Shershaah in 2021. Sidharth played Captain Vikram Batra in the biographical war drama, which was released on an OTT platform.
The film brought considerable attention to his performance and gave his career a new identity. After Shershaah, he was increasingly seen as an actor capable of taking on serious and emotionally demanding roles, rather than being limited to romantic or action characters.
Sidharth has spoken about how meaningful it is when students ask him detailed questions about Shershaah. For him, such interest in his work is an important form of recognition.
Continued working through different genres
After Shershaah, Sidharth appeared in films including Thank God, Mission Majnu and Yodha. Their box-office performances varied, with Mission Majnu releasing on OTT. He later appeared in Param Sundari in 2025, which was classified as an average performer according to the source material.
His career has therefore included both successful and unsuccessful films, but the setbacks did not stop him from continuing to work.
Wants to continue acting for decades
Sidharth’s journey began with an uncertain career plan, modelling and a shelved film. He then moved to Mumbai, faced financial and accommodation struggles, worked behind the camera and finally made his acting debut with Student of the Year.
The years that followed brought commercial successes, setbacks and a major career change with Shershaah. From a young model trying to find his place in Mumbai to an actor who has spent more than a decade in Bollywood, his journey has gone through several phases.
Despite the ups and downs, Sidharth has maintained a long-term ambition: to continue working in films for 10, 20 and even 50 years.
‘The One: Force of the Forest’ is a folklore-based mythological thriller/fantasy. It is based on a 16th-century forest goddess temple in Bihta, Patna district, Bihar, and the supernatural beliefs associated with it.
Now it’s ‘The One’s’ turn
Sidharth Malhotra will next be seen in his upcoming film ‘The One: Force of the Forest’. The film also stars Tamannaah Bhatia and is directed by Deepak Mishra. The film was released in cinemas today.
Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani got married on 7 February 2023 at Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
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Read last week’s success story…
Tara Sutaria opens up about rejection and replacements: Actress shares ‘Being dropped from films used to hurt, I would question myself’
Not every artist who comes to Bollywood with the dream of making a name for themselves has the same journey. While some receive the support of a film family, others try to establish themselves in the industry through their talent and hard work. Actress Tara Sutaria’s journey is similar. Interested in music and singing alongside acting, Tara began her career on television and made her big-screen debut in 2019 with Karan Johar’s film ‘Student of the Year 2’.
