Did 'Black Warrant' glorify Charles Sobhraj? Sidhant Gupta breaks silence
What's the story
Sidhant Gupta, who played French serial killer Charles Sobhraj in the recent Netflix series Black Warrant, has addressed accusations of glorifying the notorious criminal. The series, an adaptation of the 2019 book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, has received praise since its release last month. However, some viewers have raised concerns that Gupta's performance could be perceived as glorifying Sobhraj.
Actor's defense
'He had a gifted mind': Gupta on Sobhraj
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Gupta defended his portrayal of Sobhraj. He said, "If he'd have done the right thing, people would have called him a genius. But because he has done wrong things, we call him a mastermind." "At the end of the day, he had a gifted mind. And for me, I saw it that I was getting a chance to play the greatest actor."
Storytelling significance
Gupta emphasized the importance of storytelling in crime dramas
Further stressing on the importance of storytelling in crime dramas, Gupta said, "You need to keep hate, crime and all that there is alive through stories and stories itself. It's very important." "It's the most important thing to just do whatever is needed to keep all of this alive through stories. We all like watching it as it's where you get the release from." The actor also said he was happy with the audience's response to his performance.
Career journey
Gupta's career and approach to role selection
Before Black Warrant, Gupta played Jawaharlal Nehru in the SonyLIV series Freedom at Midnight. He thanked the love and support he has received from viewers, adding that it fuels his passion as an artist. Elaborating on his future plans, he added, "I do want to see myself doing more work but I keep waiting for the right script and those are coming more from the web medium because they are less worried about the business aspect of it."