On Thursday evening, Sidharth
Shukla walked out of the sets of Dil Se Dil Tak after an altercation with
Shital Somani,
the show’s project head. The whole episode started when Sidharth threw water at
co-star Kunal Verma.
The altercation
spiralled out of control and when Somani intervened, she got an
expletive-ridden tirade from Sidharth, who then walked out.
Rashami Desai , Sidharth Shukla And Kunal Verma In Dil Se Dil Tak
Now it looks like
the show has lost both of its male leads because Sidharth has not reported back
to the sets and after the ugly episode Kunal requested the makers to let him
exit the show.
We spoke to Kunal
and in a candid conversation, he spoke out against Sidharth. Excerpts:
When did it all
start?
There were hardly a
few scenes between I and Sidharth, the day I joined the show. But from the
beginning, his behaviour towards me was bad. He used gaalis when speaking to
me. According to him it was fun. I used to ignore it. When doing scenes with
me, he would come close and pass disturbing comments. So my concentration was
disrupted and I was not able to perform well in front of the cameras. I still
took things sportingly but on Thursday he crossed all limits. It was
the biggest humiliation ever.
Tell us what
happened. He threw water at you?
For him that is
very normal. He did so many things which I can't even tell you. The kind of
language he used was so humiliating. He abused me when we were shooting a scene
with 10 other people. It was a big dramatic scene and in between he started
teasing me and talking shit to me. I was on the verge of crying or hitting him.
Everybody on the sets was surprised at my patience and everyone was begging him
to stop. But he didn't stop. He kept hitting me with the script, splashing
water on my pants, and then he pulled me away from the set and said, ‘Tu aaj
mere saath daaru pee’. I kept repeating, ‘No, I don't want to come’. After
doing all the crazy stuff he does when he is on a trip, he was trying to
control the situation by inviting me to hang out with him. When I refused, he
became wild.
Go ahead...
So I didn't say
anything to him. I just went to my room around 8:50 pm and called up
my Supervising Producer. I pleaded with them to wrap up my character’s scenes
because I will not shoot a single scene with that maniac. I told them, ‘I don't
want to create a scene but it’s intolerable now. So please complete my
remaining scenes and let me go.’ So he called up Shital ji and I told her the
same thing. Shoot my close-ups and the scenes with the other actors tomorrow,
wrap up my work and allow me to leave. Then he came into my room.
What happened when
Sidharth confronted you again?
I asked him, ‘Why
are you doing this, please stop it’. He called me a beggar; he said you used to
live in a chawl. I don't know what was he trying to prove? He feels that he is
running the show, he thinks Dil Se Dil Tak is a hit because of him but he need
to understand it's because of the script. Usko dialogue yaad nahi hote,
chutkiyon se dialogue bulvate ho and if no one replies, he starts abusing them.
Shital asked him to
leave the set. Why?
Shital tried her
best to convince him to see his errors. But he continued misbehaving. Then she
got really frustrated and said: ‘Sidharth, don't show me this attitude.
You were getting replaced because of it and then you begged us to keep you.
Actors like you don't respect work when you get it. There are a 100 actors like
you walking around on the road.’ Sidharth replied that producers like her are
also dime a dozen. Then she asked him to get out and he left the set.
Did your co-star
Rashami Desai intervene?
No comments on
that. But my co-stars supported me a lot. After he left everyone was happy and
said, ‘Der aaye durust aaye’. Everyone was working under so much negativity. No
one used to go to his vanity to call him. And we used to feel, who the hell is
he? Good for nothing, isko kuch kaam nahi aata, apna kaam toh pehle theek se
karta. He used to behave as if he is the principal of a school.
Go on...
He was so annoying
that he used to decide people's pack-up time and day off. I am saying this on
behalf of everybody, we are really happy that he is out of the show. Lastly I
want to sum up by saying he needs to go to rehab. And I feel bad for the people
who will be in rehab with him. Ye pagal pehalwan hai.
Well, we have heard
Kunal’s side of the story. Sidharth has remained unavailable for comment. He
has made a habit of making a loud exit and then returning with an apology.
We wonder if he will do the same this time?
Thumbnail Image Source: youtube/Colors