Rising up the ladder

He is loud and clear about what he wants, and his light-hearted and humble talks can engage anyone in a conversation.

Sikander Kher is one of the finest actors of tomorrow and is slowly and silently carving a niche for himself in Bollywood. Being the son of two admired actors, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher, he has never failed to make a mark.

In a chat with Surupasree Sarmmah, Sikander talks about his upcoming movie and future plans.  

The trailer of ‘Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive’ looks as funny as the first. Share your favourite moments while working on this film.

The whole film was fantastic. The best part is that it is a comedy movie, so everyday was fun. I was lucky to have worked with a brilliant director who has an amazing vision and clarity, and knows his script because it is his own. This instills a lot of confidence in an actor and the entire cast and crew. Even though there were so many actors working together, there was no insecurity on the sets. All the scenes in the movie are great fun, and I had a wonderful time shooting those scenes.

Tell us about your role as ‘David’ in the film.

I have a double role in the movie, David Dosomething is the head of the CIA in Obama’s presidency. After the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death broke out, nobody had any evidence of it. The movie is a take on that. David Dosomething hatches a plan and he lands up in India disguised as an NRI Punjabi producer, David Chaddha. So it is basically the same guy who is in disguise.

Your movies ‘Player’ and ‘Woodstock Villa’ were well appreciated. How difficult was it to play a comic role?

Working on a comic role was not difficult at all and I always wanted to do comedy. A lot of my friends used to tell me that I should go for comic roles but I was waiting for the right kind of script. People say that I have a sharp sense of humour. And even the movie is completely crazy, so is Abhishek Sharma (the director) — he has a whacked out sense of humour. That was something I connected with. This way, it becomes a lot easier, and you just have to feel the character and not try to act. The audience will not see the typical kind of humour in the film.

How was it working with Manish Paul?

It was not difficult at all. In fact, it was great to work with him. He is a professional and his comic timing and delivery are excellent, and that helps everybody. It’s the same with Pradhuman Singh who plays the role of Osama. I had a lot of scenes with them and I must say that they are par excellence in timing. I was very lucky to work with them. They are very giving actors and they don’t want all the lines for themselves. Honestly, there was so much positivity around on the sets.

It has been three years since your last release ‘Aurangzeb’. How does it feel to be making a comeback with not just one but two roles?

I feel this move is a dream for any actor. The characters are so rare that people rarely come across such roles and opportunities. It is a blessing. I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. I loved the script the first time I heard it. I thank Abhishek (Sharma), Aarti and Pooja Shetty for giving me this role.

Your parents are actors of a different league altogether — does this make you expect more from yourself?

They both are fine actors and yes, there is always some kind of pressure on me. People always have this thought — ‘let’s see if he is as good as his parents’ — that puts a little pressure. However, if I know my character and my director knows his character, then it just pushes the pressure aside. I don’t let the thought overpower me because at the end of the day, I am an individual and I need to make a name for myself too. I can’t keep worrying abo­ut such things. I tend to look at these things a little bit more as a fighter.

Your future projects.

I am doing the second season of ‘24’ currently with Anil Kapoor, where I am playing the role of a villain in the show. The director, Abhinay Deo is amazing. I love my role and the best part is working with Anil.