The filmmaker turns baddie for his upcoming film, an action-thriller featuring the actor along side Shruti Haasan
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 3, 2016)


After Prakash Jha (Jai Gangaajal), Tigmanshu Dhulia (Gangs of Wasseypur), and Karan Johar (Bombay Velvet), Nishikant Kamat is the latest filmmaker to turn on-screen baddie. Besides directing the John Abraham-starrer, Rocky Handsome, Nishikant also features in the action thriller as the antagonist, Kevin Pereira.

"A friend of mine was supposed to play the role but it's a strong character and he developed cold feet, refusing to play it. We had already locked dates from other actors and couldn't have wasted them," says the director, adding that it was his assistant's idea to get him to take over the role. "I shave off my head after a film's release, which I did after finishing my last directorial, Lai Bhaari. It's got nothing to do with religion or superstition. Fortunately, Kevin Pereira was required to be bald so it worked out in this case," says the director who has earlier acted in a Marathi film, Saatchya Aat Gharat, and Hindi films like Hava Aney Dey and 404.

"I enjoy acting and am confident in front of the camera but doing it in your own film can be scary. Also, it's not easy to be a director as well as act at the same time. I might not do it ever again," confides the filmmaker who conceptualised his final look in 48 hours. "But I got to wear fancy suits which I usually don't in real life so it was a lot of fun," he chuckles.

Nishikant plays a Goan gang-lord in the film and admits that he didn't have to prep much for the role but did as much as he could in the limited time at hand. "Since I had written the script, I knew the character pretty well. Kevin mouths certain Goan words. I have spent close to three years in Goa so it wasn't very difficult for me to pull off either," he says, adding that John was initially shocked when he found out that his director was playing the villain.

"It was all like an extended family working together," he reminisces. Point out the parallels between his own acting turns and the other filmmakers and Nishikant quips, "We don't look like protagonists so playing an antagonist is the only option," insisting that direction is his first love. "Acting is a tough job. I have refused a few offers in the last year and a half as I was busy making films. But if a great role comes my way, I might just do it."