Sahil Khattar says, ‘Every actor wants their project to become a hit but then success is not in anyone’s hand’!
#SahilKhattar feels that most of us wanted to be an actor at some point in life. The reason being this profession is not just creative but also brings in a lot of fame. Looking back at his journey the YouTuber, RJ, host and actor shares that when he came to #Mumbai for the first time he didn’t care whether he is working in film, radio, digital etc. He was open to everything and slowly found his plan.
“I have always followed the trial and error method. Yeh nahi pasand aa raha, chalo chodh do and move to the next one, ya yeh nahi sambhal raha toh chod do aur kuch kar karo jo aapko aapke final goal ki taraf leke jaa raha hai. My final goal is to write, produce and act, like Adam Sandler or Farhan Akhtar does, I have previously written for a couple of TV shows, events, digital shows and properties and now I am trying my hand at fiction writing and I am slowly walking towards that,” he says.
Every day was a struggle, when Sahil started off. He lived in a chawl and there were days when he didn’t even know where his next meal was coming from. He also walked many kilometres just to save Rs 10.
“There were many rejections, but I still worked on my brand value and credibility and reached where I am today. I was a part of two top movies of 2021, 200 Halla Ho and 83, and what better debut year can one ask for. I also had insecurities regarding my good looks (laughs). Kahan hero type lagta toh jyada opportunities milti paar ab bhagwan ne jo shakal di hai mujhe usse hi ke sath badhna padega. Now people are warming up to the idea of bald actors as leads in India, in fact I’m playing the protagonist in a few projects, so I’m very happy… It’s the high of being an actor that keeps me motivated. Jo nasha acting mein hain woh kahin nahi hai, acting mein ek lagan hain, mehnaat hain, knowledge hain, improvisation hain, bahut kuch hai. For me it’s a totally different world, it’s a dream world,” says the actor.
In the present scenario in spite of films, OTT and television opening many doors, there is a rise in competition and even unemployment. But, Sahil remains unperturbed.
“Till the time I am moving towards my goal I’m happy, the day that stops, I will be sad, disappointed. I’ve not looked back with anger, which I believe is a great thing. I’m not one of those guys, I’m going to keep growing,” he adds.
Every actor wants their project to become a hit but then success is not in anyone’s hand. “83 is a cult film that I am happy to be a part of. On paper it’s a beautiful film and I’m sure there are a lot of profits, a lot of merits to make this film but “kuch toh log kahenge logo ka kaam hai kehna, chodo bekar ki baaton mein humko thodi na hai inn galat fehmiyan me rehna” I changed the lyrics (laughs). Also, we didn’t have any expectations from 200 Halla Ho as well but it did so well and got a nomination for the best film in the OTT category last year. So yes there is no guarantee, what we can do is put in all we gave and let the audience and fate take care of the rest,” he explains.
Sahil believes in both luck and destiny. “After I came to Mumbai, I had no work then I started doing TV, then YouTube came into the picture and after that a long time passed and then I got the opportunity to do a film and that too to play the role of legendary cricketer Syed Kirmani on screen. Everything that happens in life is a mixture of hard work, luck and destiny, a mix of both. Sonu Nigam, my mentor, once told me that one should always be prepared because you never know when the opportunity will knock,” he says.
Sharing his career goals, Sahil adds, “I want to write, act and produce in the same order. Ab jab main content creator bana hu toh acche se content create karna hi chahiye na. I mean mera naam koi series ya film me aayega ‘created by Sahil khattar’ toh voh ek alag hi proud moment hogi. I want to seamlessly entangle moments into narratives that will touch souls. I want to gain the confidence of my viewers, keep entertaining them.”