Himanshu Malhotra, known for films like Shershaah and Kesari Veer, shares why he doesn’t believe in “dream roles” and how his journey has been shaped more by growth than goals.
With two decades in the industry, he reflects on evolving as an artist and embracing the constant rhythm of learning and challenge.
“I Don’t Believe in Dream Roles”—Himanshu Malhotra
With films like Shershaah and Kesari Veer to his credit and over two decades in the industry, actor Himanshu Malhotra shared that he doesn’t have a bucket list when it comes to characters he wants to play. He said, “I’m not sure I believe in the idea of a ‘dream role.’ I don’t really have a bucket list that way. For me, the excitement lies in working with directors who can help me evolve and discover new versions of myself. One such name would be Imtiaz Ali. Getting the opportunity to work with a filmmaker of his stature would be an incredible journey of growth.”
Each Role Is a Milestone
Looking back at his career, he mentioned that every role has felt like a dream in its own way and has carried significant weight in his journey. Himanshu Malhotra shared, “Whether it was Major Rajeev Kapoor in Shershaah, Rasool Khan in Kesari Veer, or Paritosh in Rana Naidu on Netflix—each of these felt significant in their own time. A ₹20–25 crore film, a Dharma project, a Yash Raj TV show—those were dreams at some point. So, I don’t chase dream roles anymore. Whatever comes next, I just try to explore and enjoy it fully.”
The Realities of the Industry: Growth Over Comfort
As an experienced artist, he acknowledged that struggle is a constant in the industry—not just for actors, but for everyone involved. Himanshu Malhotra added, “But struggle doesn’t always mean suffering or complaining. Life is beautiful. Sometimes you have work, sometimes you don’t. That’s the rhythm of this profession. Very few actors work 365 days a year. Most of us work 100–150 days, maybe 200 if we’re lucky. And that’s okay. The rest of the time is meant for learning, training, traveling, reading, absorbing, and evolving. That’s the life of an artist.”
But does it ever get easy? “I don’t think ‘easy’ exists in an artist’s dictionary. If something becomes easy, we start looking for something geometrically opposite—something challenging. Actors are driven by the hunger to stretch their abilities and reinvent themselves through each role. We want to expand our minds, bodies, and emotional capacities. So no, it never gets easy—and that’s exactly how it should be,” Himanshu Malhotra concluded.
