22 years later, the nation will get to see the bravado, courage and valour of our Indian soldiers once again as Sidharth Malhotra and his team of actors will rekindle memories of the 1999 Kargil War. The audience will get to see Shershaah on August 12 as it releases on Amazon Prime Video in a direct-to-digital release. Besides Sidharth, the film stars Kiara Advani, Nikitin Dheer, Himanshu Malhotra and others. Captain Vikram Batra’s code name ‘Shershaah’ lends its name to director Vishnu Varadhan’s vision as he aims to bring the Param Vir Chakra Awardee’s life and valour to screen.

Ahead of Shershaah's release, PeepingMoon.com got in touch with Nikitin, who plays the role of Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia a.k.a Indian Rambo in the war film. Talking about his role in Shershaah, Nikitin said it is an honour for him to get a chance to play a wonderful character. The actor further reacted to Shershaah clashing with Ajay Devgn's Bhuj: The Pride Of India (releasing on August 13). 

Excerpts from the interview:

Tell us something about your role in Shershaah.

I’m playing the role of Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia. He was called the Indian Rambo. He was a young braveheart who fought insurgents in North East, LTTE and then he was sent to Kargil during the war. He was one of the bravest soldiers of his battalion. A statue of his has been erected in Jammu too. It was an honour to play such a wonderful character and I have tried to do justice to it.

Reports state that while Shershaah was being filmed, the Indian Army received a mail from Pakistan asking whether India is planning a terrorist attack. Is it true?

I don’t know about that. However, before shooting the film, we got a clearance from the Ministry of Defence. We used real guns, but not real bullets. On days, we had high-intensity action shots in Kargil and it was quite close to the border. So maybe because of that, they must have thought India is planning an attack. We used Bofors guns too. We don’t know anything about such an incident but shooting for Shershaah was a lifetime experience.       

The release of Shershaah was delayed due to the pandemic. Do you think its OTT release will be a compromise?

I think a lot of filmmakers are compromising by releasing their films on OTT. Producers ka paisa atka hua hai jab tak film release nahi hoti tab tak. When we made Shershaah in 2019, we never thought of releasing it on OTT. Films shot in Kargil and Ladakh regions are picturesque and have depth in every frame. Even in Shershaah's trailer, they have tried to show the expanse of the region. It is a different experience altogether to watch such films in theatres with your families. Shershaah is a theatrical experience but given the scenario worldwide, we have no option. It’s been 2 years and I think it is a wise decision. The producers are intelligent and understand the business far better than we do.    

You are in Sooryavanshi too. What’s your role in the film?

I would love to tell you but right now, we don’t know when it is releasing. Once we are closer to the release, I’ll definitely tell you. Every time we think we are closer to its release, something goes wrong. That is another project I am extremely proud of.  

Shershaah is clashing with Bhuj: The Pride Of India. Are you nervous?

I'm not nervous at all. It is good that both are patriotic films and people will have more content to watch. In the times of OTT, aadmi ek film dekh kar dusra film bhi dekh sakta hai. Given the current scenario, people have a great appetite for films on OTT. In fact, I am quite excited.   

You’ve been in the industry for 12 years. Most of your roles are negative. Aren’t you afraid of being stereotyped?

I’m already stereotyped (laughs). I was excited to do Shershaah because for the first time I am playing a positive character. Na chahte hue bhi we get stereotyped. No actor wants to get stereotyped. In Chennai Express, my character wasn't negative. He was one of the 3 characters and the children loved Thangabali. But at the end of the day, people thought he is negative. Stereotyping is very common aur usse nikalna bohot difficult hai.  

As far as work is concerned, I have been slower than my contemporaries. I’m just taking my time and not in a race. I enjoy what I do. The projects that I have done are successful and people have liked them. That’s important.  

Chennai Express completed 8 years. Is a sequel being planned? 

Oh, I wish there is something being planned. I have not heard of anything so far. 

Rumours are rife that you are participating in Bigg Boss 15. Is it true?

No, I am not participating in Bigg Boss 15. I have prior commitments to fulfil. Currently, I am shooting for Raktanchal 2 and a South film that came to a standstill due to the pandemic. It is a false rumour as the team hasn’t approached me. 

Fans are waiting for you to collaborate with your actress wife Kratika Sengar. Is anything on the cards?

Actually, we had got an offer for something like a music video. We were considering it but the lockdown happened and it didn’t materialise. If something interesting comes, we would definitely do it. Our zone of work is completely different, but if something pleasant and sweet comes, we'll do it. 

Your father Pankaj Dheer is a known star. When you decided to become an actor, were you afraid of being compared with him?

My father is popular but not a star. For me, the grind has been just like every other kid. I don't know how many times in life I have seen failure and given innumerable auditions. Since I have seen him work hard, I understood the industry better. I don’t really bother about all this, I just focus on my work. I will feel lucky if I am able to achieve a fraction of what he has done in his career.