Mumbai, Feb 17 (.) In the initial days of actor Siddhant Chaturvedi’s film career, a film producer rejected him after seeing his screen test and when he asked the reason for it, he said, “People with curly hair do not become heroes.”
Long before he gained recognition with Gully Boy, Siddhant had to navigate a series of setbacks, one of which left a lasting emotional mark. What hurt him most was that this rejection wasn’t for his talent, but for his appearance.
However, in Siddhant’s upcoming film, “Do Deewane Seher,” his character is rejected in an arranged marriage because of his stutter. When Siddhant was asked if he’s faced rejection in real life, just like in reel life, his answer was quite personal.
Siddhant explained that shortly after leaving his job as a CA, he was shortlisted for a major film. He spent months attending workshops and preparing for the role, hopeful that this would be his big opportunity. The producer rejected him after seeing his screen test and when he asked why, he was told, “Curly hair doesn’t make heroes.” Siddhant was stunned by the producer’s response.
Interestingly, when Siddhant, in an attempt to fit into the industry’s narrow standards, straightened his curly hair and went to audition, he was rejected again, this time with the reply, “My hair has become too straight.” Siddhant was again taken aback by this response.
Siddhant said, “I kept wondering, on what basis is someone being rejected? However, this repeated rejection left me confused and sad. It had such a profound impact on me that I went home and shaved my head. I was very sad and it stayed with me for a long time. However, I was also hurt by this feedback about my hair because my mother loved my curly hair.”
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