Kay Kay Menon On Underrated Tag, Anxious Start To Career: Anurag Kashyap's Paanch Taught Great Lesson - EXCL

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Kay Menon has acted in several critically acclaimed movies and shows. Yet, his fans believe filmmakers haven’t explored his 100 per cent potential. They call him an underrated actor. Amid the promotions of his new web series, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, Menon reacted to being called an underrated actor and recalled surviving in the industry for decades. In an exclusive interview with Zoom, Kay Kay said he would be anxious about his performances in the films he did. However, Anurag Kashyap’s unreleased film, Paanch, changed his outlook towards cinema and acting.

Kay Kay Menon recalls early days in film industry

Talking to Zoom, Kay Kay said, “For the first four or five years, I was stressed out, anxious, and all that stuff. But gradually, I realised there’s no point in it because it is what it is. You really can’t do much about it. Especially at a time when we were there, there were no other avenues apart from theatres. Hum ziddi the, isiliye tik gaye. Otherwise, there were more talented people than us. That was one thing.”

Kay Kay Menon credits Paanch for changing him

The actor further opened up about his survival in the industry. “There was a film called Paanch. It was considered the first film noir in India. It was the most-seen unreleased film. I thought main duniya badal dunga like any young person thinking they'd change the world or make revolutionary cinema. That didn’t happen. It didn’t release. That taught me a great lesson. From then on, I became dispassionately passionate about my work.”He explained, “Between the time I am shooting and the dub, I am extremely passionate. Once that is done, I am dispassionate. I don’t get attached. I believe it’s already done and has its own destiny. I don’t need to attach to it. If I feel nostalgic, I just watch the project. But for me, those 40 days spent won’t come back. For me, that has to be precious. If that becomes precious, my job is done.”

About Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya

Kay Kay headlines Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya with Archana Puran Singh, Abhimanyu Singh, Naveen Kasturia, Prasanna Bisht, Deven Bhojani, Ajitesh Gupta, Annapurna Soni, and Prachee Shah. The show will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 24. It is touted to be a light-hearted show about hope, resilience, and community as an unlikely headmaster rallies his staff to transform the institution despite everyday challenges, limited resources, and impossible odds. Directed by Himank Gaur and created and executive produced by Biswapati Sarkar and Sameer Saxena under the banner of Posham Pa Pictures, the seven-episode comedy-drama is written by Biswapati Sarkar, Akshay Asthana, Nupur Pai, Tatsat Pandey, and Meghna Srivastava.