For emotionally sensitive souls, Sid feels like a mirror.
I often talk about 'Dil Chahta Hai' with my friends. Every time, one thing always comes up first - how our perspective about Sid, played by Akshaye Khanna, has changed over the years. As kids, we were naturally drawn towards Akash, played by Aamir Khan, and Sam, played by Saif Ali Khan. Akash's charm and sarcasm made him the life of the group, while Sameer’s innocence and romantic struggles made him instantly lovable. But as we’ve grown, we've started realizing that Sid - who we barely noticed before - makes a lot more sense. Unlike Akash, who grabs the attention with his jokes, or Sameer, who wins hearts effortlessly, Sid is the quiet and reserved one. He is the kind of guy who, as Otis from 'S*x Education’ put it, stays "in the corner that no one knows, and they say, 'Who's that guy?' And they go, 'He's just a guy in the corner.’" It's only when you sit with him and talk to him about life, you understand there's a whole world inside him. You see the depth of emotions, the quiet understanding, and the love that always gives but never demands anything in return. Maybe that’s why Sid feels more relatable now. Just like him, we’ve all had moments of introspection, of love that remains unspoken, of emotions too deep to express. And that’s exactly what makes him unforgettable.
One of Hindi cinema's finest (yet criminally underrated) actors, Akshaye Khanna completes the half-century of his life today. And while everyone's busy talking about his Aurangzeb from 'Chhava', we take a step back and revisit his most iconic role ever - Sid from 'Dil Chahta Hai'.
At some point, we’ve all had that nagging thought: "Am I the odd one out in my group?" There’s always that one friend like Akash who is the center of attention. Another friend like Sam who is often in some sort of crisis, constantly needing advice from others. And then there’s someone like Sid, who is just there. Not the loudest, not the most dramatic, just… existing. He is the quiet observer, who listens more than he speaks. When others are creating all the noise, he is simply lost in his own world.
In this image, Akash and Sam stand closely, while Sid stands slightly apart, making the dynamics clear
But that doesn’t mean Sid misses out on the fun. When Akash tries to hide from Deepa in Goa, Sid plays along and enjoys the chaos. When Sam lands himself in yet another trouble, he makes fun of it. However, that's just the surface. Beneath it all, there's another side to him, which he keeps quietly tucked away.
(Credit: T-Series)
That said, Sid reminds us that you don’t have to be the ‘cool guy’ to matter. Sometimes, just being there is enough. And more often than not, the so-called ‘odd one’ turns out to be the most fascinating one.
Sometimes, especially as we grow older, we prefer to lock our emotions inside because we know the world won’t understand them. And that's why Sid feels so much relatable. Because he is the kind of person who feels deeply but rarely expresses.
One of the most heartfelt moments in the film is when Tara (Dimple Kapadia) looks at Sid's paintings and says:
- ... But there's a world within you, which is made of your dreams and fantasies. You don't share them with anyone. I wonder if those who claim to know you, really know you at all.
- What makes you say that?
- (interpreting his paintings) The door is closed, no one can enter it. The box is shut, no one can steal anything. Who can say what feelings lie behind those eyelids?
(Credit: The Juggernaut)
Well, Sid holds himself back. He always draws a line that separates his emotions from the world, afraid they’ll be misunderstood. When he falls for Tara, he never confesses outright. Even when he is happy, his expressions are subtle, like just a small smile. Khanna depicts this with remarkable precision. It's the silence between his words that does all the talking. And that's why you feel Sid’s emotions, even when he doesn’t voice them.
Sid is always there for everyone. He doesn't need to be asked; he just knows that someone needs him. Yet, when he needs a shoulder to cry on, there's no one. Isn’t that something we’ve all felt at some point?
Take the scene where Deepa is heartbroken after Akash ignores her. Akash makes a joke out of her feelings, but Sid sits beside her, listens patiently, and gently makes her understand that love isn’t something you can force. No sarcasm, no judgement, no mockery—just empathy. Sam, who always finds himself in trouble, constantly leans on Sid, whether it’s about his never-ending love stories or his fights with his new girlfriend. Sid laughs and makes fun of it, but also listens and advises. Even with Tara—who carries a world of pain within her—he never judges, and although he has no solution to come up with, he listens.
But when Sid falls apart? Well, when Akash ridicules his feelings for Tara, he walks away alone, hurt, and broken. No one comes to his side. No one sits beside him like he did for Deepa. No one offers him comfort like he did for Tara. Honestly, we’ve all been there—playing the role of the strong, understanding friend, only to realize that we get nothing in return.
Dil Chahta Hai released on this day in 2001 pic.twitter.com/ppDdiF6b5Q
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) August 10, 2024
(Credit: Film History Pics)
Akshaye Khanna makes you feel Sid’s pain without overdoing a single moment. The way he looks away to hold back emotions, the hesitation in his voice, the way he simply leaves without arguing—it’s heartbreak in the most real way possible.
Loving someone who will never be yours is a quiet struggle that many of us have felt. Sid is someone who loves madly, yet knows when to step back—because for him, love isn’t about ownership, it’s about respect. He is the perfect counterexample to Shaukat's (Irrfan) words in ‘Karwaan’: “Logon ko haq jatana aata hai, rishta nibhana nahi aata.” He falls for Tara despite knowing that society won’t approve and that she may never love him back. He loves deeply, but he also knows that love is like sand—grip it too tight, and it only slips through your fingers faster.
He’s not like Sunil from 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa', who manipulates to turn the odds in his favor. And he’s definitely not like Kundan from 'Raanjhanaa' or Kabir from 'Kabir Singh', who go absolutely insane when their love isn’t reciprocated. His love is different—mature, selfless, and heartbreakingly real. When he realizes Tara isn’t his to have, he doesn’t fight it. He just lets it go.
But it's also important to acknowledge that his love isn’t weak. When Akash ridicules his feelings, he doesn’t hesitate to stand up and go against his friends. And when she’s in the hospital, he simply stays by her side, but again, expects nothing in return.
(Credit: T-Series)
Khanna beautifully captures the quiet pain of unrequited love in his performance; loving from a distance, knowing it has no future, yet unable to stop. And that’s why Sid stays in our hearts—because, at some point, we’ve all been him.
Well, Sid’s story isn’t just about pain, it’s also about hope. By the end of the film, when everything seems over, he finds a new beginning. Instead of clinging to "what could have been", he moves forward. And that’s what makes him so special. He shows us that even after all the struggle, life always has something new to offer.
