EXCLUSIVE | Kennedy's Abhilash Thapliyal on Cannes debut, working with Anurag Kashyap: 'He's a teddy bear!'

Radio jockey and actor Abhilash Thapliyal made his grand debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival red carpet last month. Thapliyal had already gained recognition for his roles in the Taapsee Pannu-led horror thriller Blurr and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's web series Faadu. But now, it appears his career is going to reach new heights. He stars in Anurag Kashyap's upcoming neo-noir thriller Kennedy. The film premiered at 2023 Cannes in the out-of-competition category. Thapliyal has garnered praise for his craft and fans are excited to see how this collaboration between him and Kashyap will unfold on the big screen.

Kennedy stars Rahul Bhat in the titular role of Kennedy, a former cop, who has been presumed dead for years. Haunted by his past, he battles chronic insomnia, unable to escape the torment of his actions. Despite the guilt weighing heavily on his conscience, Kennedy finds himself trapped within a corrupt system, reluctantly continuing to serve as an enforcer. Joining Thapliyal and Bhat in the film are Sunny Leone, Megha Burman, and Mohit Takalkar.

In an interview with WION on the sidelines of the Cannes Festival, Thapliyal shared his thoughts about the film, the Cannes experience,andworking with Kashyap.

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Q. Congratulations on Kennedy and its premiere at Cannes. How does it feel to be part of such a prestigious film festival and have your work showcased on an international platform?

A. I think working with Anurag Kashyap... that itself was sort of like winning an award. And then the film reaching to Cannes, I never expected anything like that. I'd never walked the red carpet and I walked the very first red carpet at Cannes. This is always going to stay with me. But I think working with Anurag Kashyap was a far more important thing for me than my film reaching Cannes.

Q. You have been a radio jockey and a TV host. Was being an actor always your end-goal?

A. Not end goal. End goal toh kuch bhi nahi hai (I don't have an end goal). The day I get bored of acting, I'll leave acting. It's as simple as that. Whatever makes me happy... I've been doing that. Radio still makes me happy. It still excites me. The day radio stops making me happy, I'll leave radio also. Because YOLO, yaar. You only live once. Wherever I'm finding happiness, I'm doing that. So the day I stop feeling that that feeling of happiness, of satisfaction, I'll let go of it. So it's not the end goal. It is just a part of a small part of my journey. It is not my identity. I'm not just an actor. I'm more than the role I play.

Q. Anurag Kashyap has a very distinctive filmmaking style. How did you find collaborating with him and what was the experience like on set?

A. I've always been a director's actor, be it Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari or Ajay Bahl [director of Blurr]. With Anurag sir, I was a bit too prepared, because when you are given this opportunity to work with somebody like him, aap kuch nahi chhodna chahte aur aap purit tarah se set par jana chahte ho (you don't want to compromise on anything and want to go to the set fully prepared). On the first day, I was mugging up my lines. Anurag sir said, "Aaram se kar na (relax)." After that, the way I opened up before the camera... So, he is very different from the kinds of films he makes. He's like a teddy bear, he's a sweetheart. Second day onwards, I begin to loosen up thanks to him. He knows exactly what he needs from he wants from the scene. He knows the objective of the scene. That clarity of thought is something which is amazing.

Q. Can you tell us about your character in Kennedy?

A. I can't! I can tell you even the name. I can tell you one more thing that he just changes Kennedy's life. That's all.

Q. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations as an actor? Are there any specific types of roles or genres you would like to explore in the future?

A. It doesn't matter to me whether I do a Rs 100 crore film or not. What matters is, I should give a performance that is worth Rs 100 crore. I want to be known as a good actor. That is my objective. I have no aspirations of becoming a star. If it happens, it happens. I just want to work with the best of directors with the best of stories and do something different from what we usually get.

Q. Who are some actors or performers that you look up to and find inspiring?

I love to watch Boman Irani, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkumar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. These are the kind of actors I look up to. They are all doing amazing jobs. I always thought about Boman sir, and the kind of characters he has played.

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