NE FEATURES TEAM
Producer Siddharth P Malhotra believes in strong female leads in his projects. Commenting on portraying women as stronger, both in real and reel life, Siddharth says, “Be it real life or celluloid, women are always stronger. I like to bring that strength to my projects. I like to make shows that revolve around women.”
The producer-director is just about wrapping up the shooting of Kajol’s first OTT project. His other venture with Deepti Naval and Mahesh Manjrekar is also ready to hit small screens in, 2020.
Siddharth’s iconic women characters
Here is a set of iconic women characters that Siddharth P Malhotra has created. These characters, be it in movies or TV, have stood out for their convincing role play and remembered vividly by the masses. Siddharth has always dared to take up projects which are different and tackle issues that are not always publicly discussed.
Kainaaz (Dia Mirza) in Kaafir
Caught in a cross-border struggle between Indian and Pakistani armies, this story is inspired by the life of an innocent Pakistani Shainaaz who is wrongly convicted for 7 years. A compelling, sensitive character set in the time of political upheaval, Kainaaz has been portrayed beautifully by Dia Mirza who owned every scene.
Naina (Rani Mukherjee) in Hitchki
Housing a sea of emotions as a Tourette syndrome patient who is ambitious and skilled as a teacher, Rani Mukherjee becomes Naina with ease and convinces viewers of her talent, her disability and everything in between. An endearing story set in a school with each character playing her/his part perfectly, Naina steals the show with her gestures and honest acting.
3. Dr. Ishani (Surbhi Chandna) in Sanjivani 2
A righteous character with many layers to her personality, Dr. Ishani is the protagonist in this iconic medical drama. With parental baggage and a suppressed personality but immense skill and talent as a doctor, Surbhi Chandna gets into the skin of Dr. Ishani and headlines the show brilliantly. She shares in an interview that Malhotra organized a special workshop that could help her transform and understand the intricacies of Dr. Ishani and her behavior.
Dr. Riddhima (Jennifer Winget / Shilpa Anand / Sukirti Kandpal) in Dil Mill Gaye
A medical romance drama that changed the course of content in its time, Dill Mill Gaye was a game-changer. Dr. Riddhima’s role as main lead carved a niche for itself in the hearts of all the viewers so much so that they had to find a reason to bring her back in the show. Portrayed by different people at different points of time, Malhotra says Dr. Riddhima is a unique character close to his heart.
Durga (Sanjeeda Sheikh) in Ek Hasina Thi
Women seeking justice for a crime committed in the past. However, her method of seeking justice is unconventional. She uses her mind and refrains from conventional modes of finding her solution.
Durga is not only rich, brave, focused with a heart of gold but is also strong, powerful, calculating and manipulative, using her intelligence to stay a step ahead of her adversaries. She doesn’t mind stepping across the boundaries of ‘right’ and flirts with the dark side, but she always remains within the confines of good, never losing touch with her humanity.
Bollywood director-producer Siddharth P Malhotra with Kajol. – NE photo
