Actor Vineet Kumar Singh had a rather eventful 38th birthday. A self-confessed workaholic, the actor unveiled the trailer of his upcoming film titled Siya today. The trailer of the film takes the audience through a story of a small town girl who, against all odds, decides to fight for justice and starts a movement against the vicious patriarchal system.
Speaking to News18 Showsha exclusively, the birthday boy, at the trailer launch, said that it was “emotionally draining” for him to play a lawyer in the social drama that revolves around women who are victims of gender-based sexual violence and asserts that it’s his responsibility as an actor to be a part of stories that can make a difference.
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He told, “It is emotionally taxing when you work in a film like Siya. I have two sisters. I come from a small town. I have witnessed and faced a lot of things in my life. If people would say anything distasteful to my sisters, it would hurt me immensely. I’m sure a lot of other people, who have sisters, feel the same. I believe a story like Siya has to be told. I try my best to convey a strong message through my work.”
He further said that unlike his character in Rangbaaz 3 which required him to bulk up, he had to shed extra kilos to slip under the skin of his character in Siya. “Every character that you play takes something from you and gives you something in return. When I met Manish Ji (Mundra, director-producer), my physique was like that of a wrestler. That’s when my journey of shedding my weight began. Slowly, I became like the character in this film,” he stated.
Singh, who has been a part of content-driven medium-budget films like the Gangs Of Wasseypur series and Mukkabaaz (2008), also said that more and more audiences should be supporting these films so that their stories that reach far and wide.
He elaborated, “We are a population of 135 crore. But only about four per cent of the population of the country goes to the theatre to watch a film in today’s times. To bring more people to the theatres to watch a film like Siya involves an intense and long exercise which will take years. Such films should continue to be made because they give opportunities to a lot of people.”
He added, “If you look at the films produced by Drishyam Films like Ankhon Dekhi (2013) and Newton (2017), you will see a huge jump in their box office collections. This is a sign of growth. While Ankhon Dekhi collected Rs 27 lakh, Newton garnered Rs 22 crore. Sanjay Mishra has been working since years but he will always be known for Ankhon Dekhi.”
Siya marks the directorial debut of filmmaker Manish Mundra, the founder of Drishyam Films. Also starring debutante Pooja Pandey, the film is scheduled for a nationwide release on September 16, 2022.
