Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Nikhil Chinappa, veejay and soon-to-be film star, tells Sujata Assomull that for him, life is just one big joke
Nikhil Chinappa? Isn't he the multi-ringed MTV veejay?
Yup, that is how Nikhil became famous. But actually he is a qualified architect who used to be a disc jockey -- yes, one of those old-fashioned radio jockeys -- in Bangalore. Now guess what his choice of profession is? Films, of course!
Another veejay-turned-actor?
In step with the likes of Kamaal Sidhu, Marc Robinson and Anu Agarwal, Nikhil too is heading for Bollywood.
Surely he must be hoping he can do slightly better than the others and create some impact at the box-office?
"Well, I am doing a typical Bollywood film where I play the second lead, but that's all I am saying for now." However, that's not all Nikhil's got on his plate -- he's also managed to make his way into an off-beat film: Sunhil Sippy's Snip! And acting opposite him is another veejay, Sophiya Haque, besides Archana Puran Singh,Saurabh Shukla and Sohrab Ardeshir.
Does being a part of this group of seasoned artists scare 27-year-old Nikhil?
"Yes, it is quite intimidating." But since the shooting has only just begun he hasn't had too much time to sit back and worry.
But can he act at all?
Well, he must think he can if he has signed two films. And Nikhil feels his experience in theatre should also help. Before moving to Mumbai he'd worked with Arjun Sajnani's theatre company in the sound department.
So why didn't he plunge into theatre then?
"Arjun asked me to, but then who would do the sound?"
And how did the sound-man become a veejay?
"Music is my passion. And I used to be a radio jockey." So, when MTV did their first veejay hunt, Nikhil sent in an application and got through. "For the final round there was something like a talent contest. My USP is talking, so I just narrated jokes." Obviously, here's a man who likes the sound of his own voice.
But does he keep shut long enough tolisten to music?
He loves music, and says he will never give up veejaying even if his acting career takes off. Nikhil grew up on a staple diet of ABBA and Boney M before graduating into a heavy-metal fan. Now he's developed a taste for all kinds of music.
Is there an album lined up next?
"Definitely not, I cannot sing." Whew! Thank God. At least we'll be spared the agony of one more veejay crooning for us.
OK, so he cannot sing, but can he at least shake a leg? After all that's almost mandatory for anyone who wants a career in Bollywood.
Nikhil has no particular aversion to song-and-dance routines. "Just give me a good song and a well-behaved tree to go around, and I'll do it."
Another funny line. Does he ever get serious at all?
"Not really. Life is just one big joke."
Does that mean he never thinks about serious issues, like what's happening in Kargil, for instance?
That's not entirely true. "My dad fought in two wars. But I prefer to keep my seriousthoughts to myself. Nobody wants to know about my problems." So, he prefers to joke about everything.
Has this man with a wacky sense of humour had any luck with the fairer sex?
Well, in both his films he ends up falling in love, but in real life, it's a "no, no". Nikhil insists he does not have a girlfriend. "My last one dumped me and I haven't met anyone after moving to Mumbai."
But doesn't his celeb status make it easier to strike a rapport with women?
No, he says. He wants someone who looks beyond his on-screen persona. "Besides, I do not think I am a celeb. According to the celebrity rule book you have to wear clean shoes and I don't."
Hey, let's try and get serious for the next 30 seconds. How did his career switch happen?
A friend told him about the part in Snip!, Nikhil read for it, and just fell in love with the script. "It's like a mix of True Lies and Pulp Fiction, garnished with some of Sunhil's humour. The script blew me away. And it's almost as ifthe part was written for me."
Does he like all the attention he's getting?
"I don't get into anything for fame and glamour. I became a veejay because I love music and the rest just happened." Now don't tell us this chatter-box is actually a shy boy!
What does he think of all the veejay-hunting that's happening these days?
"It's a great way to find new talent. It is really fair."
But the year he participated in the contest, there was talk that it was rigged.
"How could it be? I was from Bangalore and did not know a soul in this city."
But once the MTV hunt is over, there'll be other veejays who'll join the channel. Does the competition worry him?
"No, I think there is a niche for everyone."
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------