Sidharth Malhotra made his debut more than a decade ago with a role that instantly made his everyone’s favourite. Ever since, the actor has carved a distinct space for himself in Bollywood and has displayed his talent through his diverse filmography. From romantic dramas and to high-stakes action and biographical roles, Sidharth has shown a steady growth over the years and delivered performances that made him a bankable actor. Here are some of his memorable films that shows his range as an actor.

Hasee Toh Phasee is a rom-com featuring Sidharth Malhotra as Nikhil, a financially struggling young man who is trying to prove himself to his girlfriend Karishma’s (Adah Sharma) family. His life takes an unexpected turn when he meets Meeta (Parineeti Chopra), Karishma’s eccentric and brilliant sister who has been estranged from the family for years. As Nikhil reluctantly agrees to keep an eye on Meeta, they form an unlikely bond that slowly turns into love. They reveal their vulnerabilities, ambitions and emotions to each other. Finally, on his wedding day, Nikhil has to decide whether he will go forward with marrying Karishma or confess his love to Meeta.

Ek Villain saw Sidharth Malhotra play Guru, reformed criminal who tries to rebuild his life after meeting Aisha, an optimistic woman who is battling a terminal illness. Their relationship brings out the gentler side of him and they eventually get married. Guru tries to leave the world of crime behind and earn money the honest way to afford Aisha’s treatment. One day, she is elated to discover that she is pregnant with Guru’s child. But before Aisha can share the good news with him, she is murdered by a serial killer Rakesh (Riteish Deshmukh). The loss pushes Guru back toward the darkness he tried to escape, setting him on a path of revenge.

In Kapoor & Sons, Sidharth Malhotra stars as Arjun Kapoor, a struggling writer who also has to navigate a fractured relationship with his family. Along with his estranged brother Rahul (Fawad Khan), Arjun returns to his childhood home in Coonoor after their grandfather suffers a heart attack. Their parents seem to favour Rahul because of his success, creating an even deeper rift between the brothers. Beneath the surface, the family is grappling with multiple unresolved tensions, including financial strain and Harsh’s past extramarital affair.

As the family tries to come together for their grandfather’s wish of a perfect family photograph, Arjun is forced to confront jealousy, childhood wounds and the painful truths that have shaped him. He also finds an unexpected connection with Tia (Alia Bhatt), which helps him rediscover warmth and hope. Sidharth brings a certain vulnerability to Arjun, capturing the insecurity and longing that sit beneath his composed exterior.

Baar Baar Dekho is a romantic science-fiction film dealing with time travel. Sidharth plays Jai Varma, a brilliant mathematician who prioritises work over everything. His long-time relationship with Diya (Katrina Kaif) begins to fall apart when he struggles to give time to her. However, after a major argument, Jai mysteriously starts leaping forward in time, witnessing the future consequences of every choice he makes. These unexpected time-jumps force him to confront versions of his life where success has cost him the people he loves most. In one of the leaps, he finds out that he has become successful in his career but is about to get a divorce with Diya. In another leap, he sees that Diya has remarried another man. He begins to understand the weight of emotional neglect and starts valuing Diya more. Finally, Jai returns to his current timeline and vows to resolve his problems with Diya.

Shershaah is considered to be one of Sidharth’s best performances. It is a biographical war drama based on Indian Army Captain Vikram Batra, who sacrificed his life during Operation Vijay of the Kargil War. The film follows Captain Batra’s journey from his days as a spirited young man to his rise as a fearless officer in the Indian Army. It also shows his deep bond with Dimple Cheema (Kiara Advani). We see Batra’s leadership during key missions of the Kargil War, including the capture of Point 4875, where he ultimately laid down his life. Sidharth received appreciation both from fans and critics for his performance in Shershaah. This also remains a special film in Sidharth’s life as his love story with Kiara bloomed during this time and they eventually got married.

They alleged that various elements shown in the trailer and promotional videos seem to replicate major events from Sharma’s military career, including classified counter-terrorism operations and undercover missions.
In its plea, the family members stated that a martyr is not a commercial commodity and his life cannot be recreated for profit, ‘without truth, dignity and due permission.’

Besides violating the family’s right to privacy, the film also portrays sensitive military strategies, claimed the family. They said that infiltration methods and operational details of the security forces have been revealed in Dhurandhar and argued that it can cause National Security concerns. Sharma’s family also alleged that the makers did this without obtaining clearance or approving the script from the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI). ADGPI is responsible for seeing how the Indian Army is represented in films and media.

Citing these reasons, the family requested the Delhi High Court to halt the release of Ranveer Singh’s film until they are allowed to watch it privately.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Aditya Dhar has already clarified that Dhurandhar is not based on Major Mohit Sharma. Ever since the trailer released, speculations had been going around its real-life connections, as the film is reportedly inspired by actual events. One such rumoured connection suggested that Ranveer Singh’s character is linked to Major Mohit Sharma, who reportedly operated undercover as Iftikhar Bhatt and infiltrated Hizbul Mujahideen in the early 2000s.

In response to a question from Madhur Sharma, Mohit’s brother, who had tagged him to confirm, Aditya wrote, “Hi, sir – our film Dhurandhar is not based on the life of brave heart Major Mohit Sharma AC(P) SM. This is an official clarification. I assure you, if we do make a biopic on Mohit sir in the future, we will do it with full consent and in complete consultation with the family, and in a way that truly honours his sacrifice for the nation and the legacy it has left for all of us.”

Major Mohit was posthumously honoured with the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military decoration, for his ultimate sacrifice in 2009 during a fight with terrorists in the Kupwara sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dhurandhar will be released theatrically on December 5.

Also Read: Aditya Dhar Says Dhurandhar Has No Link to Major Mohit Sharma’s Life