'Films and theatre are like apples and oranges'

He began his journey as a chorus dancer and went on to become a video jockey (VJ), before foraying into Bollywood with Rock On. But for Luke Kenny, who dons many hats — that of a VJ, an actor, a musician, a director and a producer — there are no favourites as each medium, he says, is equally creative and has allowed him to showcase his work in various ways at different points in time.

“I started out as a chorus dancer on stage after a noted choreographer of the time, spotted me at a college dance competition. I then went on to join his company and did many shows as a dancer. Then one of his friends was opening up a pub and was looking for a DJ and I was given the opportunity, which I readily took as I needed to do more work to gain more financial support,” Kenny tells Metrolife.

“Then one day at a party where I was DJ-ing I was spotted by a Channel V crew, and the producer of a show offered me a chance to audition as a VJ. And thus began my journey, which still continues,” he adds.

Apart from showcasing his acting skills on the silver screen, the Rise of the Zombie star has also experimented with theatre with Vickram Kapadia-directed The Merchant of Venice. And, according to him, films and theatre are like “apples and oranges”.

“There is no comparison between the two as both require a different discipline for their execution. Both require their own preparation and result in an equally different experience. And both have their own challenges which are equally rewarding,” he says in an email interaction.

Agreeing that unlike today, not many avenues were available for youngsters to pursue their dreams at the time he started his career, Luke says it is only because “technology was not developed enough to allow the average Indian to gain the knowledge and information that they could pursue any creative dream that they may have”. He adds that the early 1990s phenomenon of satellite television and the explosion of the Internet allowed these avenues and dreams to take root.

However, on being asked if such a phenomenon compromises on quality, he says, “There is a certain decompression of quantity that occurs as a result of this access. But it is within that decompression that one must find the drive to compress passion and integrity, so that the quality stands out as a beacon of inspiration to others, thereby leading them on to do the same.”

Ask Kenny, who is currently busy with various projects including developing two film projects (both in scripting stages) and MTV Dubai’s Next Big Thing, about chances of him making a comeback in Rock On 2, and all that he says is “may be”.