Exclusive! Sahil Khattar: Who knows, I could become the Dwayne Johnson of India!

Sahil Khattar is one of those actors who has carved his path into Bollywood with a lot of struggle. "When I first came to Bombay (Mumbai), I didn't even know where my first meal is going to come from. And now I know what my next year looks like," says the actor, who made his big debut with Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83. 

In a candid chat with OTTplay, Shahil, who is known as the face of the YouTube channel Being Indian, talks about playing cricketer Syed Kirmani in 83, the ‘raging chemistry’ between the cast, and his next ventures in the industry.

Last year, you debuted in Bollywood, would you still continue to work on your YouTube channel or focus only on films now?

I can't leave what I've built. I don't think I will ever leave my roots behind. There was a time when I thought that I might not be able to manage but then I realised even if I can do a little bit right now, I'll do it because that is where my brand recognition has come from, that is where film opportunities have come from, that is where everything is coming from. So, I don't think I'm ever going to leave that. Yes, it's very difficult to do YouTube and films together. But I am someone who gives my best and works as much as I can. 

How your journey has been till now in the industry?

Phenomenal. Because when I first came to Bombay (Mumbai), I didn't even know where my first meal is going to come from. And now I know what my next year looks like, in terms of the project.

So a conventionally good looking actor exploring different kinds of genres in the mainstream industry is quite understandable for the audience, however, a bald guy doing the same is not very common in Bollywood yet, what’s your take on that.

To normalise bald guys in front of people's people's eyes is going to be a task but I don't think I'm behind. In the world, we have seen such great actors who are bald including Rock, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and others. If it wasn't for the hair surgeries of so many actors in India, they would have also been bald. But then everybody has gotten their hair transplant done. I just want to make everybody feel that it's okay to be bald. All the other roles can be done by bald guys. Why can't a cop be bald or a romantic hero can be bald? I would like to normalise the fact that there can be different shades of a blad actor and they do not need to play only a character actor. 

How was the process of filming 83 for you and how was your equation with all the cast because it was such a huge ensemble?

So, the process was so simple, only 6 to 8 months of cricket training (sarcastic laugh). The chemistry was raging between all of us. I'm really glad to be a part of such a huge ensemble. The training was amazing and the shooting too. The post-release phenomenon is par excellence. 

Some would say that 83 didn’t do as well as it was expected, would you say that Covid-19 is one of the reasons for that?

Yes because of Omicron, most of the theatres were shut down in many parts of the country. But it's really not about the numbers. In the end, it's the word of mouth. After a while, everybody is going to remember that one catch that Syed Kirmani took at lords. That one six that Kapil Dev hit against Zimbabwe. 

When and where the film 83 is set to digitally premiere?

I'm not authorized to say anything about it. But I'm sure the audience will get to see it on OTT.

What do you think the reaction of the audience would be. As a lot of movie-buffs haven’t seen it yet?

So when 83 was released on big screens, the whole theatre turned into a stadium. That's what is going to happen when the film will release on OTT. It will be like any other India World Cup win when all of us were glued to our TV sets.

How did you prepare yourself to play a miscreant character like Balli Chowdhary in 200 Halla Ho?

So, what happened was, when this role came to me, I just wanted to shackle away from the funny YouTube guy image and I wanted to break that. And for that, I knew that I need a lot of preparation. So, I packed myself with a lot of good people around me to help me prepare for this role, by that I mean the directors, ADs. And I used to research a lot about serial killers and serial molesters. I was not able to talk properly to anybody on the set. I was just in a very brash mode. But I'm glad that the role came out beautifully. And a lot of reviews of 200 Halla Ho has mentioned me in a film, where Rinku Rajguru is there and Amol Palekar is there. So, I think these are the accolades that I have gotten. So the preparation was gruesome, but the result was fantastic. 

How were you able to switch off from that character.

So, at the start, I wasn't able to switch off at all. Then came a point that I was comfortable in the skin of the character. Thankfully, I didn't have to switch it off as the shoots went for continuous days.

Tell us about your future projects.

A lot of YouTube videos and television shows, webs series and films. I came here from Chandigarh to put on my best and not pick and choose. I will eventually pick and choose in every field that I like.

I want to be those rarest talents, whose going to be on all three mediums- films, television and OTT.

Who knows the next could be becoming the Rock (Dwayne Johnson) of India. There are so many similarities like we both sing, he's relevant on all platforms. 

Meanwhile, there are going to be a lot of web series on my YouTube channel, Being Indian, very soon. I will be seen in different avatars.