OCTV #48: INTERNATIONAL ACTOR, RAHUL KHANNA

International actor Rahul Khanna was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and is a second-generation actor. After studying at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and the School of Visual Arts in New York, Rahul began his career as a VJ (video jockey) with MTV Asia. Rahul made his feature film debut as the romantic lead in Canadian director Deepa Mehta’s Earth. His performance garnered him the prestigious Filmfare award for Best Debut in 2000 as well as other accolades. He has since appeared in Deepa Mehta’s Bollywood/Hollywood with Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Ray. His mainstream Hindi films include Elaan, Raqeeb, Dil Kabaddi, Love Aaj Kal and Wake Up Sid, and his international credits include The Emperor’s Club with Kevin Kline and the Showtime TV film 3AM, starring Danny Glover. Rahul is currently a recurring character on the hit FX spy drama The Americans. Rahul has also been seen on stage in the New York production of the hit West-End play East Is East. Rahul’s performance as Tariq, the rebellious son of a Pakistani father and a British mother, won him acclaim from audiences and critics alike. A popular choice for commercial endorsements, Rahul has been associated with several leading brands — like Toyota, Lay’s, Pepsi, De Beers Group, Jaypee Greens and Nestlé’s Maggi. Rahul has hosted numerous events, like the IIFA Awards, the Miss India pageant, the Screen Awards, the Stardust Awards, the Miss India Worldwide pageant, Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief show at Mumbai Fashion Week, the GQ (India) Men of the Year Awards, the Hello! Magazine Hall of Fame Awards and the Teacher’s Achievement Awards, to name just a few. I had the pleasure of speaking with Rahul just before ANOKHI’s 12th Anniversary celebrations, where he was honoured in ANOKHI’s first-time commemorative coffee table book, The ANOKHI List 2015, and where he received the Actor of the Year award at The ANOKHI Awards. He spoke with me about his eclectic film choices over the years, his experience working in a diverse range of cinematic and television projects, his film lineage and what he’s learned from being a boutique Indian actor all these years.