Next week will be a busy one for Purab Kohli. The 37-year-old, who we first watched and loved as Mazhar in the TV smash-hit Hip Hip Hurray, stars as a prisoner of war in D-Day maker Nikkhil Advani’s TV series POW (premieres on STAR Plus on November 7) and then returns as KD aka “Killer Drummer” in Rock On!! 2. The November 11 film is the sequel to the 2008 hit Rock On!!, that also brings back Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal, with Shraddha Kapoor thrown into the musical mix. A t2 chat.

It’s a week to Rock On!! 2. Are you guys feeling the pressure since Rock On!! went on to become such a cult film?

There’s big anticipation for the sequel because it comes such a long time after the first film. There are many people in this country who are huge Rock On!! fans. We are hoping that people get the same kind of experience as the first film… (pauses)... I mean it’s a different story so one can’t have the same experience, but it has the same kind of drama and the same kind of musical experience as Rock On!!

We are not really feeling the pressure. There’s definitely a certain kind of excitement this film comes with. And when you promote a film like Rock On!!, it’s not the usual kind. Even today (Wednesday), we are in Aurangabad and we are promoting it through a rock concert… we are expecting a massive crowd of 25,000-30,000 people. We’ve put so much hard work into the film and from whatever bits and pieces I have seen, it’s looking beautiful.

So, what’s KD up to this time? Does he still wear his heart on his sleeve?

Thank you... you just helped me define him better! KD always wears his heart on his sleeve and he’s such a lovable guy. In the first film, he had to make the decision of quitting his father’s business and understanding that it’s music that made him really happy. In Rock On!! 2, KD is living that new life — he’s standing on his own feet in the music industry.

What’s the biggest challenge in keeping a character, that people have already seen you play, fresh?

What was really tough for me is that Shujaat (Saudagar, the director of Rock On!! 2) wanted KD to have the same qualities as in the first film. I am not a person who thinks so much about the characters I play. When I read a part, I try and visualise my character in terms of doing what comes to me naturally. Like what if Purab Kohli was a drummer and worked for his father and was unhappy about it and then rediscovered an old friendship that made him a better person. That’s how I played KD, bringing myself into the character. While it was relatively easy in the first film because Purab was a lot like KD then, I found it tough to pull back all those KD characteristics in this film. KD has remained the same, but Purab is not what he was like eight years ago. Purab no longer wears his heart on his sleeve (smiles).

What was it like shooting in Meghalaya and how much does the place contribute to the film?

Awesome! I have been travelling to Meghalaya since 2004 and it has to be one of the most beautiful states in the country. Shillong is now so busy, but the outskirts like Mawphlang and Dawki are still wow. Shooting the film there for 45 days was an experience we won’t forget. I don’t think any of us has ever been so sad coming back from a shooting location before. For one week after we came back, we would keep messaging each other just discussing how much fun it was back in Meghalaya. It’s a stunning place and it makes our film look stunning.  

Five days before Rock On!! 2, you have your TV comeback POW going on air. What made you say ‘yes’ to this after years of staying off the small screen?

I want to just tell you this: watch the first episode and then decide whether you want to watch the series or not. It’s so intriguing and keeps you so hooked that you will keep coming back to it. It’s unlike anything you would have seen on Indian TV.

Calls for TV have been coming in for years, but I have always shied away because a daily soap is just too much commitment. But then I got offered this short series format and it has Nikkhil Advani directing and producing it. I was working with him on Airlift (the Akshay Kumar hit was produced by Advani) when we started talking about it and I loved his film D-Day and POW is completely in that space. And, of course, I have watched and loved the original show, Hatufim (the Israeli TV show that was adapted as the hit series Homeland).

It’s a great concept and this is probably the most complex character I have ever played. I knew that if I didn’t do this, I would be stupid! (Laughs)

How much did doing the acclaimed Netflix series Sense8 prepare you for POW?

Working on Sense8 (made by the Wachowskis, who also directed the Matrix films) triggered off this thought process of wanting to seek out short series formats. I did the first season of Sense8 almost two years ago and at that time, there was no Netflix in India. It released and no one had even seen it here. But I knew I wanted to do more in this format. I kept looking and then Nikkhil Advani came along and I saw my chance to do something like Sense8… it’s only that Nikkhil has now made it into 126 episodes! (Laughs)

You last told t2 that you wanted to write a feature film. Any progress on that front?

Actually, yes. I have been working on a story for a while now and I have finally fixed the structure. But one needs time for something like this, so I am hoping to work more on it when I finish shooting POW sometime in February next year.

Priyanka Roy