Anurag Kashyap, Rajkummar Rao tweet in support of Savi Siddhu, the actor who now works as a security guard
Story highlights
Siddhu has featured in several prominent films like Akshay Kumar starrer 'Patiala House', Anurag Kashyap's 'Black Friday', 'Gulal' and 'Paanch' among others in the past. But owing to bad health, acute financial crisis and lack of roles, Siddhu now works as a security gaurd in Mumbai.
Internet was abuzz on Tuesday with the news of actor Savi Siddhu who has turned watchman at a residential complex in Mumbai due to lack of work in films. Siddhu has featured in several prominent films like Akshay Kumar starrer 'Patiala House', Anurag Kashyap's 'Black Friday', 'Gulal' and 'Paanch' among others in the past. But owing to bad health, acute financial crisis and lack of roles, Siddhu now works as a security guard in Mumbai.
Now, Kashyap and actor Rajkummar Rao have tweeted in support of SIddhu and ensured that a casting agent would get in touch with the actor so that he can get back to films.
Rao stated that Siddhu's story was an inspirational one as he tweeted, "Very inspired by ur story #SaviSidhu sir. Have always admired ur work in all ur films. Love ur positivity. Will def ask all my casting friends to reach out to u. Perseverance is the key to overcoming obstacles."
Very inspired by ur story #SaviSidhu sir. Have always admired ur work in all ur films. Love ur positivity. Will def ask all my casting friends to reach out to u. Thank u @FilmCompanion for sharing his story. Perseverance is the key to overcoming obstacles. https://t.co/mITl3DsmzF
— Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) March 19, 2019
Anurag Kashyap, meanwhile in a long twitter thread explained that how Siddhu's work as a guard should be respected and that he knew scores of people, who may have had a connection with films earlier but are now facing financial trouble. "To be a watchman is a job, I don’t see it as a small job or big. At least he is not begging. And I genuinely believe that charity does not make art or an artist. There are millions of stories like Savi Siddhu’s(Sic)," Kashyap tweeted.
The filmmaker also urged more people to go to the cinemas and watch movies and encourage artists to make more films. "You want to help artists like him then you need to start watching their art by paying for it, by actually be a paying audience. Tweeting the story to me won’t help. I have worked with new comers all my life and I move on to the next new talent I can find ."
"We all make conscious choices. Go to cinemas and buy tickets for films that has unknown amazing talent like Savi Siddhu to make sure that they continue to be what they are best at, to be the artist they want to be. That’s all I had to say . Thank you,"Kashyap wrote.
2... become alcoholics or wasted themselves away. Nawaz used to be a watchman, I used to be a waiter, I met one actor who sells bhelpuri on streets, I know and actor from Black Friday who drives a rickshaw, the lead from Salaam Bombay used to do the same ..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 19, 2019
The art and the artist. Savi will have to help himself. Only thing one can do is get the casting directors to audition him for him to earn the role and for that he will have to walk to that casting directors office like million others. He has made a conscious choice and ..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 19, 2019
To be a watchman is a job, I don’t see it as a small job or big. At least he is not begging . And I genuinely believe that charity does not make art or an artist. There are millions of stories like Savi Siddhu’s.
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 19, 2019
You want to help artists like him then you need to start watching their art by paying for it, by actually be a paying audience. Tweeting the story to me won’t help. I have worked with new comers all my life and I move on to the next new talent I can find .
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 19, 2019
We all make conscious choices. Go to cinemas and buy tickets for films that has unknown amazing talent like Savi Siddhu to make sure that they continue to be what they are best at, to be the artist they want to be. That’s all I had to say . Thank you
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) March 19, 2019
Savi, who started his Bollywood career with Anurag`s films, currently works for 12 hours a day as a security guard.
"It is a 12-hour tough job. It`s a mechanical job. I don`t even have money to buy bus tickets. To watch a film in theatre is like a dream now. My financial condition is not good," he said in the viral video that was shared on Youtube by a website.
Despite financial crisis and working as a security guard, he hopes to "have a good bank balance and bag roles in films soon".
"I am hopeful they (producers and directors) will give me a chance. I know they will not say no. I have always received a positive response from them. They are waiting for me, mai aa raha hoon (I am coming back)," he concluded.