Kennedy actor Rahul Bhat on his association with Anurag Kashyap, “He doesn’t want safe performances, he wants truth even if it’s ugly”

Rahul Bhat is receiving rave reviews for his performance as the lead in Anurag Kashyap’s dark drama Kennedy. The actor got talking about the movie and more in an interview with us.

Playing a dark brooding coldblooded assassin haunted by guilt, how tough was getting into the skin of this character?
It’s never about “playing dark.” But darkness that’s not cosmetic. The hard part is finding the wound. This man wasn’t cold; he was fractured. Guilt is not loud, it’s corrosive. It sits quietly and eats you from the inside. To get into his skin, I had to sit with that silence. Strip away performance. Strip away vanity. When you’re playing someone who has blood on his hands, you can’t judge him. You have to understand him. That’s exhausting because you’re borrowing emotions that aren’t pleasant to live with. But as an actor, that’s the privilege. To explore the uncomfortable.

Kennedy has taken its own sweet time to be released. Is it tough when your hard work gets eclipsed?
Of course, it’s tough but I’ve been around long enough to know timing in cinema is rarely in an actor’s control. You do the work honestly and you let go. If you attach your self-worth to box office cycles and release calendars, you’ll go mad.

You have done some of your best work with Anurag Kashyap. Walk me through your association with him?
Anurag and I share a certain creative restlessness. He doesn’t want safe performances. He wants truth even if it’s ugly, even if it makes people uncomfortable. That excites me. With him, there are no frills. No hero packaging. Just the character. He trusts actors who are willing to jump without a safety net. And I respond to that. It’s not about loyalty. It’s about alignment. When you find a filmmaker who understands your rhythm, you don’t take that for granted.

Don’t you get tired of playing dark characters? You started your career on a light note
I’m drawn to characters who are internally conflicted. Human beings are rarely one note. Even in comedy, there’s pain. If someone writes a layered, joyous character, I’d love to do it. I would love to do all kinds of roles and characters.

How do you deal with actors with not even an iota of your talent getting good work?
I don’t waste energy on that. Comparison is a trap. The industry isn’t a meritocracy, and it never claimed to be. It’s a mix of talent, timing, networking, luck, perception. If I start measuring my journey against someone else’s, I dilute my own focus. My job is to stay prepared, stay sharp, and stay truthful to the craft. Work comes and goes. Integrity stays. And I can only hope destiny will be kind in future. But at the end of the day, I want to be respected for the work.

Also Read: Exclusive: Rahul Bhat opens up about mentally draining ‘Kennedy’ role and disturbing killing spree sequence

The post Kennedy actor Rahul Bhat on his association with Anurag Kashyap, “He doesn’t want safe performances, he wants truth even if it’s ugly” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

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