I will be good in comedy & romance: Rahul Bhat

‘Kennedy’, directed by Anurag Kashyap, has been a favourite on the international festival circuit since the beginning of its journey. After making a powerful global debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where it premiered in the ‘Midnight Screenings’ section and received a seven-minute standing ovation, the film went on to receive a similar response at the Sydney Film Festival. From Kashyap’s bold narrative style and technical finesse to its riveting background score and powerful performances by Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone, the film generated positive word-of-mouth across the board.

However, ‘Kennedy’ didn’t see a theatrical release and will finally reach audiences via ‘ZEE5’ on Friday. If one assumes that this might disappoint Rahul, that isn’t quite the case. While he admits that theatres have their own charm and value, for the acclaimed actor, what truly matters is that the film is finally reaching audiences after three years.

“It’s the decision of the studio and the producers when and where they would want to release. But I am happy that it’s finally releasing on ‘ZEE5’. We can crib about why the film didn’t release in theatres, but for an actor, the release of a film matters,” he said.

Rahul began his journey as a model before gaining popularity with the television show ‘Heena’. He later appeared in films such as ‘Yeh Mohabbat Hai’ and ‘Nayee Padosan’, but it was Kashyap’s 2013 thriller ‘Ugly’ that transformed his perspective on cinema and reshaped how he wanted to chart his career. Kennedy marks Rahul’s third collaboration with Kashyap after ‘Dobaaraa’.

The story of ‘Kennedy’ follows a sleep-deprived police officer seeking redemption, navigating intense and morally ambiguous situations. Rahul has only praise for the ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ filmmaker.

“I’m thankful to Anurag that he considers me every time he writes a complex character and believes I can do it. ‘Kennedy’ is definitely different because it’s one of his quintessential films and it’s the most complex character I’ve played,” he smiled.

For Rahul, ‘Kennedy’ is special not only because he plays the titular role, but also because of the challenging journey of the character and the director’s faith in him. As an insomniac, guilt-ridden ex-cop, he had to explore deeply grey psychological spaces. The ‘Black Warrant’ actor admitted that the role was emotionally taxing.

“Even after the shoot was over, it was very difficult to come out of him. It won’t be wrong to say that such characters take a toll on you,” he said.

From ‘Fitoor’ and ‘Daas Dev’ to ‘Ugly’, ‘Dobaaraa’ and ‘Kennedy’, Rahul has consistently been cast in raw and unconventional roles, a trajectory further reinforced by his recent OTT outing in ‘Black Warrant’, created by Vikramaditya Motwane. When complimented on his good looks and told he could easily have been a rom-com hero, he responded thoughtfully.

“I don’t know how these directors always approach me with such complex roles. Looks can open doors, but complex roles give you a reason to stay. I’ve never been interested in only being watched. I’m interested in being felt. And good-looking can’t be a genre. Characters like ‘Kennedy’ allow me to explore the fractured, silenced parts of humans. The world demands truth more than polish. Of course, complex roles scare me. But that’s why I chose them. Comfort is the enemy of growth,” he said.

Rahul’s talent is well acknowledged, but is the industry recognising him enough beyond filmmakers like Kashyap or Motwane? The actor remains optimistic.

“I feel that now my time has come,” he smiled.

He is set to make his Hollywood debut with ‘Lost & Found in Kumbh’ and is excited about its Indian release soon. Having explored comedy in the film, he hopes to do more such roles.

“I think I will be very good in comedy and romance,” he smiled.

In addition, Rahul has been working on a semi-autobiographical project for some time.

“I’ve been writing about Kashmir and the 30 years that have passed since the migration happened. But it’s still at a nascent stage,” he said.