Sidhant Gupta turns a year older today and for the actor, this year the day comes with a bittersweet feeling as it falls the day next to the one year mark of the Pahalgam terror attack. The incident hits close to him as he comes from Jammu, ans he insists the reverberations of the attack still echo back home.
Getting emotional while talking about home, Sidhant Gupta insists that his people back there are still recovering from the after effects, but they are now in a better place. “Kashmir is much safer than it’s ever been. My mother just went to Kashmir and the photos and videos, I could see that she was just free. The government has taken charge and that’s why it’s feeling safer than ever before, which is a great thing. But at the same time, it’s been so traumatic for people, they’ve lived their life on the edge and the drama is real for them. But jab safe feel hota hai to saans aani shuru hoti hai, that’s where it’s at. I hope things get better sooner than later.”
The actor recently got emotional talking about his hometown. Ask him if he feels more connected to his roots after getting more recognition in Mumbai, and he says, “Your hometown is what you hold on to your entire life. At least for me. I understand it all the more now. It’s been a journey.”
Sidhant adds, “When I came from Jammu to Mumbai, I wanted to just run away from all the voices that held me back because it had a very safe culture. So, to break free from that, I just kept running around and got lost in the struggle. The more I started to embrace all those voices that held me back, the moment I encountered them, that’s when my life started to change. This journey has only brought me closer to Jammu ever since. I deeply feel about it.”
He shares that acting and drama culture is not as prevalent and Jammu and that’s why it took him time to realise his dream and potential. But with his journey, he hopes more people from there get the opportunity to get in touch with their dreams sooner.
“Jammu still doesn’t have a drama culture, there are no drama classes in school system. And if there’s a talent like myself that is not even aware of it, if that culture starts to progress in that city, one will find their way sooner than later because it took me so many years. I think about all these things and I hope with my journey, people get inspired out there and they’re able to set up this new language, and not just to make a career out of it, but to enjoy it,” he says.
The actor adds, “Drama is also fun, which people don’t understand yet out there. We haven’t tasted it and it’s a great emotional release for kids when they’re growing up. We never got that release, so I think about these things and that is something that I’ve got hope for back home in the near future.”