“I am not easy to slot, how do you slot me?” … From his sense of fashion to his malleable choices as an actor, Rahul Khanna talks about this and a lot more …
Did you always know that acting was something you wanted to do in life? What did Rahul Khanna , the kid want to be when he was growing up?
Growing up, I always loved dogs and animals and I think I wanted to be a vet at some point or work on a farm … something that allowed me to be around animals. But I think I outgrew that very soon and became very interested in films. I used to love watching films. I became very interested in theatre – I used to love going to watch plays. Also very interested in writing, and I used to illustrate my own comic books. So I knew I wanted to do something in the creative medium and eventually I drifted more towards the acting side of film and that’s where I am right now.
How has studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the School of Visual Arts in New York City influenced you in terms of acting?
It was an incredible experience for a young guy like me to move to New York and attend these two very prestigious schools. More than the knowledge that was imparted within the schools, I think it was the whole experience of being a student in New York City and the kinds of things you are exposed to – the museums and the different kinds of film and theatre that you get to see, and also the kind of people that you get to meet. My classes were filled with an extremely eclectic bunch of diverse international students and I think you learn a lot from that experience as much as you do from the actual academic experience.
So your career began with a four-year stint with MTV Asia. How did that happen?
That actually happened while I was student in New York. I had heard that MTV Asia was looking for a part-time VJ based in New York for MTV India. And I went to interview for the job, they really liked me, got hired to work one day a week, and go to school the other days. And eventually that turned into a full time job and eventually I moved to Asia, I became a full-time VJ.
You had the chance to debut in a Deepa Mehta film alongside Aamir Khan. That’s a debut not many can boast of. How was it working on your first feature film with such talented individuals?
I always say that I couldn’t have asked for a better first film. It was like getting a Rolls Royce as your first car. The whole project was amazing, right from the script to the technical team to my fellow actors. It was just really everything that I could have asked for. So, I am really grateful for that and you know its just something really special. A first film is like kind of like your first love for an actor because an experience that you never get to recreate – the excitement and the joy of working on a first film. And to have a first film that was of this level was really more than anyone could have ever asked for.
We recently spoke to Monica Dogra where she was talking about your upcoming film together – Fireflies, how has that shaped up?
The film has shaped up really well, I have just seen it twice and it looks beautiful. It is certainly one of the most visually spectacular films I have been a part of. And yup, I am very excited about it and hope everyone enjoys it.
Tell us a little about your character in Fireflies, and how was it working with ad-man Sabal Shekhawat?
Well Fireflies, I call it a mood piece. It’s a very simple, lyrical story about two brothers who are estranged and have been torn apart by a tragic incident in their childhood, and then how their lives criss-cross and various circumstances threaten to wither bring them back together or tear them completely apart. So it is a simple story, there are no thrilling plot twists and action sequences, or special effects or songs and dances. But it is a nice slice of life and I really enjoyed working with Sabal Shekhawat although this is his first feature film, he is not someone I would call a new director because he is one of India’s top ad-film directors and he has directed a number of award winning commercials. And he was able to assemble the most incredible technical team right from the cinematographer to the production designer to the sound designer; so technically it is a really slick film and also what appealed to me about that project that it was an independent project in the truest sense of the term. He had set out to make this project completely on his own terms. So he went ahead and produced it himself without any backing of a studio or a production house and without any kind of distribution deal in place, which I thought was very brave of him. And I really liked that kind of drive he had about doing something on his own terms and I was really keen to be a part of it. It’s something different. I mean it may not be a film that everyone loves but I think it is certainly something new and unique and hopefully it will find an audience. And also as an artist, I was very interested in doing something different because I think the only way to grow as an artist is to do different things and not do the same things over and over again. So let’s see, I hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I enjoyed working on it.
Can you give us a sneak into your cinematic influences — favourite directors, maybe?
I like quite a few directors. I really like Quentin Tarantino … I love Clint Eatswood’s work as a director, I like Sam Mendes, I love Tom Ford as a director even though he has only directed one film. Closer to home I would say I really enjoy the work of Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap … Farah Khan even. So yes lots of … I mean I am sure I can think of 20 more in the next five minutes but we don’t have enough time.
I read in an interview somewhere that you said it was your dream to direct someday. Are we going to see that happen soon? And what kind of genre would you like to direct?
Yes it’s actually always been a dream of mine to direct. I will definitely do it someday. I just don’t have the idea right now. As soon as I get the idea I will try and make it happen. In terms of genre, I don’t know. That’s not something that I really think out – what genre it will be, it will just be an interesting story, be quite a visual film because I like good visuals and hopefully it will have some good music.
Having been a part of television, theatre, film and stage, which is the one that is the most satisfying for you as a creative person?
I have to say that I enjoy all of them thoroughly. If I had to pick one, it would be film because I think film is sort of like magic. It is like you create something from completely nothing. Anything is possible. You can do anything in film – you can fly in a film, you can morph into a different creature, you can go back in time – literally, the sky is the limit. So I love that aspect of it. That being said, I really enjoy theatre. I have only done one play in New York which was a production called East is East but I had the time of my life on it and there’s something to be said about performing every single night, eight days a week in front of a live audience and doing the same thing over and over again and keeping it fresh, keeping it exciting. So yes, I love them all but films would have to be my favourite.
GQ recently rated you as one of the best dressed men in India and said that if ‘Mad Men’ were made here, you could be Draper. What’s your definition of style?
Well that was very kind of them to say. My definition of style would be to stay as true to yourself as possible. I think style is a reflection of your personality and I think people who have truly great style are people who are very true to their own personality. And therefore you have to be unique, so yes keep it true to yourself, and be ruthless with your stylistic principles … I mean if you say you like the colour blue then really embrace it and you know use blue a lot in your style. If you like putting feathers in your hat just go for it and put feathers in your hat – as long as it is true to your own personality.
You are quite active on Twitter, and your bio on the micro-blogging site is quite interesting. It describes you as a ‘Boutique Bollywood Actor’. Please tell us a little about this …
Thank you, yes I really enjoy using Twitter and Instagram and my bio that is ‘Boutique Bollywood Actor’ was sort of born out of necessity because I found that when I would meet people, especially outside of India and they would find out I was an actor in the India film industry, they would always say – Oh you work in Bollywood, you must be doing five to ten films a year but it was very difficult to explain to them and I think to myself the esoteric space I sort of occupied in the film industry. I am not easy to slot, how do you slot me? And I had been hearing this term boutique thrown around when it came to hotels and when it came to investment firms and I thought it was quite apt for me as well because I am slightly esoteric. I am not really run of the mill but yet I occupy quite a unique space of my own. So I started using it, I always got a laugh out of people. I thought I would use it in a tongue-in-cheek way in my social media bios.
What is your take on this constantly raging battle between the stars claiming that at least some part of their life should be kept private and then others insisting on connecting with their fans on sites like Twitter… which side of this argument are you on? How much is too much?
I think like with everything in life you have to find a healthy balance. I think you are comfortable with sharing absolutely everything about your life, that’s what you should do. If you are comfortable sharing nothing about your life, then that’s what you should do. I personally do feel the need to share certain parts of my life, I like sharing certain things with people who are interested in me and at the same time I do enjoy my own privacy. So I keep it as balanced as possible and keep it within my comfort zone and you know that’s how I balance it, but to each his own.
You are the face of PETA India’s campaign, Beaten, Shackled, Abused — Elephants Do Not Belong in Zoos. Do you think the problem in India is the lack of awareness when it comes to such initiatives becoming a success?
Yes absolutely, I think awareness is key. As adults in a democracy we should have all the facts we need and then make a decision as to what we support and what we don’t support. So as long as we are aware of what’s happening and then we can make a decision … then we can decide how we want to support a cause or not … yes I don’t know if that made any sense. What I meant to say was that awareness yes, is the key and as much information possible is great and I am happy to help with spreading awareness for causes I believe in.
Lastly, what would a Rahul Khanna dream project consist of?
Well a Rahul Khanna dream project, I presume you are talking about a film here which would be a really well-written script, a director with a very strong vision, a great technical team in terms of cinematographer, sound, wardrobe design, set design, production design and some really nice, like-minded co-stars. So, I think yes that’s what I think anyone’s dream project consist of.
