Rahul Bhat is currently all over the internet receiving praise for his newly released film Kennedy on ZEE5, and now, in an exclusive interview with IWMBuzz, he talks about his dual personality role, his transformation, his experience with Sunny Leone, and more.
When asked about his dual personality role of a former cop, disguising himself as a taxi driver in the day and becoming a killer at night, Rahul said, “Kennedy is not a man you can define in a straight line. He lives in contradiction, on the surface there is control, there is precision, almost like a discipline, but underneath there is chaos, guilt, loneliness, and he has a constant conflict going on.”
Rahul highlighted that the duality of the role drew him to it, and his character isn’t trying to be good or evil but to survive somewhere in between. He also shared that though his role seems tough and intense, he is deeply human and vulnerable, especially in his daughter’s case; he is very human.
The actor talked about his character Kennedy, mentioning that his character operates in silence a lot, and playing this character was challenging for him because what he doesn’t say and express openly, his eyes should convey. He said, “So when you play someone like that, you don’t judge him, but you try to understand him as an actor. I have played that. Even in his darkest moments, I have tried to understand this whole duality. So it was challenging.”
Rahul mentioned that his role wasn’t someone who washes energy, but it was mentally heavier. And preparation for this role demanded rawness and one cannot fake the darkness so he had to isolate himself to put himself into the shoes of his character. The beard gave his character the weight it needed.
Sharing the takeaways from this project, character Rahul said, “It has definitely taught me a lot because working with directors like Anurag Kashyap and this project, where you are playing this complex role, it’s also a learning experience.”
He also added, “This film, it stayed with me in a very quiet internal way. And the biggest takeaway is also the understanding of how much can exist beneath silence. You don’t always need to express everything. Sometimes, restraint carries far more truth.”
His experience working with Sunny Leone in this film, Rahul said, “Working with her was very easy. She doesn’t come with like she is so curious, she wants to learn, so it’s actually refreshing to see someone like that. She came in with complete sincerity, no pretence, no overthinking; there is a certain honesty in the way she wanted to approach her work.”
Rahul highlighted that he liked the fact that Sunny loved to be prepared for her work and the discipline.
