Justin Rao sits down with Sikandar Kher for InFocus to discuss Prahaar, the response to his performance and the connection he found with director Avinash Arun. Looking back on nearly two decades since Woodstock Villa, Sikandar reflects on growing up around cinema, his friendship with Abhishek Bachchan and the nerves that still accompany his first day on set. He also recalls recording a song for a film that never happened and explains why he made his debut using only his first name.
Sikandar speaks candidly about long stretches without work and the moment he stopped waiting for the phone to ring. He describes messaging filmmakers at 10:45 in the morning, taking a showreel to meetings and keeping a calendar of follow-ups, before Aarya brought him a new connection with audiences as Daulat. Justin and Sikandar also discuss handling expectations without bitterness, family and changing perspectives while filming Monkey Man away from home, and the affection for his work in Monica, O My Darling and Tooth Pari. The conversation closes with the roles he hopes to explore, his love of comedy and the reassurance he would give his younger self.