Siddharth P Malhotra on Bollywood's harsh realities, ‘Hichki' struggles - 'It reached a point where I wanted to end it all"

Filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra, best known for his work on 'Hichki' and 'Maharaj', offering a rare insight into his turbulent journey in the film industry in a candid podcast. While he was at it, he also opened up about his family's cinematic legacy, and the deeply personal struggles that shaped him as a storyteller.
As the grandson of legendary actor
Prem Nath
and Beena Rai, and son of producer Prem Kishan, Siddharth admitted to The Free Press Journal that while a legacy may offer access, it doesn't promise respect or success. Sharing his initial days in the industry, he revealed that he started work at the age of 16, and took on odd jobs in TV serial sets, from setting up vanity vans to managing food, laying the groundwork for what would become an intense yet rewarding journey in television with popular shows like Sanjeevani and Dill Mill Gayye.
Despite the exposure, breaking into films was anything but easy. After his 2010 directorial debut We Are Family, Siddharth faced a 7-year-long dry spell where his pitches consistently failed to take off.
Hichki: A Turning Point
From 2011 to 2017, Hichki maintained an idea he believed in, but no one else did. He approached actors from top to bottom, only to face repeated rejections. 'It reached a point where I wanted to end it all,' he admitted. The turnaround came when his wife, Sapna, pushed him to pitch it to
Aditya Chopra
.
The film, shot in just 28 days, became a breakthrough moment.
Remembering Prem Nath
Siddharth also reflected on his grandfather Prem Nath's legacy, calling him 'a very learned man' who once swam the Mansarovar and knew over 100 classical raags. 'I was just 13 when he passed, but there are so many conversations I wish I could've had with him,' he shared.
I Didn't Matter He Is Aamir Khan's Son: Director Siddharth P Malhotra On Working With Junaid Khan

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