Sidhant Gupta’s turn as the suave serial killer, Charles Sobhraj, in Netflix's The Black Warrant has become one of its highlights (and his accent a talking point) of the gritty show. The actor imbues Shobraj with just the right amount of charm and flamboyance while retaining the complexity of the character. The chameleon actor has been earning great reviews and proving his mettle for the past two years. After giving a breakthrough performance in Amazon Prime Video series Jubilee (2023) as Jay Khanna—a character that drew inspirations from Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor, he further established his acting prowess last year while essaying the role of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the SonyLIV series Freedom At Midnight.  We caught up with the man behind the characters for a quick chat 

 
Three words that define you: 
Can’t give up 
 
Three essentials you don't step out without? 
J-O-Y 
 
Three go-to fitness workouts on a no gym day? 
Stretch 
Push up 
Lunge 

The most challenging bit about playing a real-life character? 
Give up your own identity. To step away from your own self before you step into someone else’s shoes. 

 
The best and worst thing about taking up acting as a profession? 
The best is the taste of magic if you’re true to the character. And the worst is the wait. There is a lot of waiting involved—waiting for the right script, waiting for your shot, etc. But then it’s all worth it for that moment between action and cut. 
 
Funniest audition memory? 
It was during covid times when I auditioned over zoom for the first time. I had to pretend to hug the laptop as if it’s a person because the scene demanded it. 

One actor who has been the biggest influence? Something you learnt from a particular performance? 
Meryl Streep. It’s the versatility, the living, the depth, the joy, the gift that she is, as a viewer how safely she carries me through the entire journey of a film. The fact is that you can’t put a finger on just one specific performance. 
 
From being a sportsperson to training to become a pilot…how did you land in Bollywood? 
Growing up I kept shuffling from one thing to another. I remember, my teacher in school once told me you’re a jack of all trades and master at none. It hurt at the time. Perhaps now I know I have to be an artiste, I get to do it all.

If you had to pick a moment or an incident that made you decide that you want to take up acting as a career, what would that be? 
I was in London for my first solo trip after I did a cameo in a Sanjay Dutt comeback film. The film didn’t work and my plan of switching from television to film was in the dungeons. I desperately needed a good enough reason to act all my life. I somehow met a great teacher who’s been teaching in the drama centre in London. She agreed on working with me. In my first session with her, I felt the magic of illusion for the first time. For a very brief moment, I wasn’t me. I was a character from a Shakespeare’s play that came to life in that room. It was something real but far away from reality.

You are also a poet, is writing something you want to take up professionally ever?  
Like I said there’s a lot of waiting period in this profession. So, I just started utilising my time creatively. That’s how poetry started to speak to me. It keeps a good balance between logic and emotions. 
 
Your 3 dating red flags? 
Bad breath. Bad taste in clothes. Pulling others down. 
 
If you were on a dating app, your bio would read: 
If you fall in love 
I’d let you 
If you chase enough 
I’m warning you 
There’s no going back 
I’d beholding you through the afterlife 

 
That one thing you miss about Jammu the most: 
Clean air 
 
The most precious possession in your wardrobe: 
A blue sweatshirt from a Korean designer. I can live in it. 
 
The most useless talent you have: 
I can raise each eyebrow quicker than the blink of an eye.   

 
The biggest life lesson from a movie quote: 
Most recently I heard Charles Shobraj say, “Make friends, old chap, enemies they make themselves”. 

One 2024 Instagram trend you absolutely hated: 
I was away from Instagram throughout 2024. 
 
Top 3 things on your 2025 to-do list: 
Write a song, sing it professionally, and be a part of the storyline in the video.