I want to be me, says Sid Mallya

We catch up for a chat with Sid who's currently in India for a friend's marriage. Excerpts.

Who: Sid Mallya
What: Talking about his penchant for Hollywood

Taking the plunge
As I grew up in a British public boarding school, I was always taught to be independent and to do what I thought was right. Moving away from the business felt right for me, and I'm happy with the decision I have made. It's a huge risk to do what I'm doing, but one that excites the hell out of me. After doing an online chat show with cricketers, I hosted a season of the calendar hunt. While doing so, I caught the attention of a few fraternity people who believed that I have the look and appeal to make it in Hollywood as a mainstream actor. That has given me the impetus to get trained in acting classes in LA.

Focussed approach
Right now, I am busy pursuing this dream of acting in Hollywood. I am totally focused on acting and I am no longer associated with my family business. At my acting school, they teach us the various forms of human behaviour as well as enacting various emotions. I am simply loving it. A normal day of my life in LA is pretty hectic as I go for my classes and hit the gym.

Hollywood calling
Initially, the family business was a priority. But there was always a desire to perform in front of the camera. Since a young age, I was passionate about entertaining people, be it in school plays or public speaking. I don't follow Bollywood films much. In Hollywood, my all time favorite film is Gladiator and I admire the work of Robert Downey Jr. I want to work with the best people in business to be the best.

Proud and happy
I am very happy for Deepika (Padukone). I am glad to see that she's receiving the right recognition for her performances and not just for the success of her films. It's all testament to her hard work and dedication.

A cause after my heart
I am also associated with a blind school. My desire is to start a charity organisation for blind kids. My heart goes out to them, its commendable how they lead their life without vision. In fact, during the IPL, I took Chris Gayle to meet the blind kids and we really bonded with them and played cricket and football with them.

Living it up
When I was in University, I had put on a lot of weight. AlthoughI played hockey, rugby and tennis, I had a bad diet. Now, I am a stickler for fitness, I do cardio and functional training and payattention to my eating habits. As far as my wardrobe is concerned, I don't go after brands or labels. Contrary to public perception, my schooling and mother's upbringing has kept me prettygrounded. As far as lessons from dad go, I want to be my own person and remembered for being me! u00a0