Actor Siddharth, who plays the character of Arjun, a cricketer representing the country in director Sashikanth’s upcoming film ‘Test’, says that if there was one person he had to pick to dedicate all that he had done in this film as a test cricketer, it would be Rahul Dravid.Participating in a discussion organized by the makers of the film, which features Nayanthara, Madhavan and Meera Jasmine alongside Siddharth in the lead, the young actor spoke at length about the inspiration for his role in this film.
“In our country, cricket is life. I too like cricket. But when you act as a cricketer, it is not enough if you simply act. That is because everybody watches cricket daily for around three to four hours. So, people have got used to watching the sport closely. They look for perfection. Therefore, you cannot pretend. That was my main fear. We have tried to be as true to the passion and beauty of the character that I play in the film,” he explained.
He then threw light on his preparation for the role. “When you take on a role that plays test cricket, there is definitely lots of preparation. When the audience watch my behaviour or cricketing style or my mental make up in this film, it will have the influence of several people. It is not just based on one person. As this is a fictional character, we have adapted many small, small things from different people. If people feel the same feverish interest they get while watching a match when they watch this film, then I believe we have done our job. I am grateful for this character of Arjun in Test,” he said.
He further said, “I can’t name one person because if I say one, I will have to give out all the names. But if you ask me personally — from the time, I studied in school — if there is one person whom I have admired and followed from before the time he debuted to the time he retired and beyond that — it is Rahul Dravid. So, anything I do in this film as a test batsman, if I had to dedicate it to one living cricketer, it would be Rahul Dravid,” Siddharth admitted.
Test, which is to be streamed on Netflix from April 4, has been directed by well known producer Sashikanth. Interestingly, Test will mark the directorial debut of Sashikanth.