Siddharth Choudhary: If Someone Feels The Emotion and Intellectual Clarity, That’s My Work (Public Speaker, Author, 427K Followers)

Siddharth Choudhary Interview

"What excites me most is telling stories across formats. Writing is important, but it isn’t the centre — storytelling is."

Q. You wear many hats—entrepreneur, author, and storyteller. When someone discovers SidSpeak for the first time, how would you like them to describe you after scrolling for five minutes?

I’d like them to see me as someone who tells emotionally honest stories rooted in reality. A big part of my work involves using scenes from films — especially moments that carry emotional weight — and translating them into real-life lessons. Movies resonate because they reflect human vulnerability, confusion, ambition, and heartbreak, and I try to bridge that emotional truth with practical life insight. 

Beyond that, I want people to feel that I prioritise clarity over glamour — whether I’m talking about a movie, a current affair, a real-life situation or personal growth. If, after five minutes, someone feels emotionally understood and intellectually clearer, I think that’s a fair description of my work.

Q. Dreaming Overseas resonated with many young Indians. Was there a moment in your own journey that made you realise this story needed to be written?

The need for Dreaming Overseas became clear when I realised how widely misunderstood life abroad actually is. There’s a popular assumption that once you move overseas, you’re automatically living the dream — especially if, like in my case, the journey eventually looks successful from the outside. 

I had a good job and permanent residency in Australia, so people assumed it was smooth and easy. What they don’t see is the isolation, the financial pressure, the self-doubt, and the emotional cost that comes before stability. The struggle is largely invisible. I wrote the book to talk about that hidden phase — to remind people that success abroad doesn’t cancel out the hardship it takes to get there.

Q. You’ve built a strong community with Sid Squad. What’s one message or DM from a follower that truly stayed with you?

One message I’ll never forget came from a man working as a security guard. He told me that he often felt invisible, like his effort and dignity didn’t count in the larger definition of success. He had watched one of my reels inspired by the film Tamasha, about how everyone is fighting a private battle and how growth doesn’t always look glamorous. 

He said that the reel made him feel seen — and more importantly, it gave him hope that struggle is not permanent, it’s transitional. That message stayed with me because it reminded me why emotional storytelling matters — sometimes all someone needs is recognition to keep going.

Q. What excites you more right now—writing another book, exploring new storytelling formats, or building something completely unexpected?

What excites me most is telling stories across formats. Writing is important, but it isn’t the centre — storytelling is. Whether it’s through reels, writing, public speaking, or conversations, the goal remains the same: to create narratives that help people make sense of their lives. 

I’m especially interested in formats that allow emotional depth without losing relatability. Building something unexpected excites me only if it stays honest and human — because at the end of the day, people don’t remember platforms, they remember stories that made them feel understood.

Q. If your life were a movie, which genre would it be right now, and who would you trust to direct it?

At this point, it would be a coming-of-age drama — a modern Bildungsroman, focused more on internal growth than external milestones. It’s about understanding identity, ambition, and purpose rather than simply arriving at success. I’d trust someone like Imtiaz Ali to direct it, because he understands emotional contradictions, inner conflict, and the quiet transitions that shape who we become.

Bio

Siddharth Choudhary is a storyteller, public speaker, author, and entrepreneur, best known for his digital platform @sidspeakofficial, where he connects with over 400,000 followers on Instagram. 

Through emotionally driven content, he explores movies and real-life moments that matter, using cinema as a lens to draw relatable lessons about ambition, struggle, identity, and personal growth. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Hansraj College, University of Delhi, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Monash University, Australia. 

Siddharth is also the author of Dreaming Overseas, a book that captures the unseen emotional realities of Indians living and studying abroad.

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Interviewed By Tarunanshi Sharma