Lukkhe releases on Prime Video today. An eight-episode series, it marks the acting debut of rapper KING, who plays the central role of Nihal aka MC Badnaam, a rapper who is also involved in the nefarious business of making drugs. Playing Badnaam’s intensely emotional sister Sanober, a recovering addict, is Palak Tiwari. Set against the pulsating backdrop of Chandigarh, Lukkhe is a tale of revenge and redemption that blurs the lines between art and animosity. A t2 chat with KING and Palak.
What has been the biggest takeway for you — as an artiste and as a person — from the experience of being a part of Lukkhe?
Palak Tiwari: As a person, I have realised that my fondness for Arpan (Kumar Chandel, KING’s real name) really bettered each scene in Lukkhe. People don’t lie when they say that if you like your co-star, it makes your life easier... trust me, if I had hated him and I would have to say in a scene: “Oh, I love you so much, Veere”, it wouldn’t have hit the same. Our scenes, every single time, hit the right notes because I really like him as a person. That is what I have taken away.
As an artiste, I have realised that when you work with a great crew, you don’t have to keep second-guessing. You don’t have to keep wondering: “Yeh moment mein yeh character kya karta hain?” As an actor, I had the correct people to turn to, whether it was the director or my co-actors.
KING: This was a great debut for me. I came in hearing various things about the industry, but when I got the chance to work in Lukkhe, it was all good for me. I hope I get such a great environment to work in in my future projects as well. At the end of the day, we all desire to do good work and to bond well with the people we collaborate with. Kaam toh theek hain, chalta rahega, lekin main chahta hoon ki main kuch log kamaa loon aur kuch log mujhe kamaa le.
KING, how difficult was it to play someone who is in some ways a version of you, but is not you? In that connection, what is that one aspect of your character Nihal that you connected with immediately and any aspect of his that felt very different from you?
KING: From a very early age, Nihal had understood that he doesn’t have a life of his own. He feels that he is literally nobody. The identity that he was given, the kind of home and relationships he was given... it brings on a huge sense of responsibility within him since the time he is very young. He realises that there are certain things in life that he has to prioritise above others.
He doesn’t forget that even after he becomes ‘Badnaam’ (Nihal’s rapper name). In fact, when he gets power, his sense of responsibility grows further. That forms Nihal’s core and is a very good quality that he has.
The way Badnaam goes about his business is wrong, but the way Nihal operates in life feels very close to me. I don’t think I can disconnect from him in any way. What he does makes sense to him in the context of the moment and of the circumstances that he is in. What is, of course, alien to me as KING is Badnaam using guns or making drugs.
Palak, what was the biggest challenge and the biggest creative high of playing Sanober?
Palak: The biggest challenge was doing justice to emotions that I have never felt before... like anxiety or even the helplessness that she feels.
My highs were acting with him (gestures towards KING) and playing out the fantastic lines that we got. They made both of us cry and bring out the best emotions from within us. Getting to perform with him in the song Jee lenge was also a big moment. It was my favourite day on set.
KING, did Lukkhe help you discover or tap into any part of you as a musician that you hadn’t done before?
KING: Definitely! With this series, I saw myself as a 360-degree performer. On stage, as a musician, I would earlier just perform, but now I have a better knowledge of how cameras operate. When you act, you do the same thing from five different angles... in some ways, it becomes a part of your muscle memory. I am the kind of performer who learns by observation. Being a part of Lukkhe has really helped me in my music. Now, when I take the mic and want to express myself to the audience in my live shows, I realise it is not only about talking... one has to feel the depth of one’s emotions as well.
I feel that being a part of Lukkhe has also enabled me to become a better person over the last two years. I see the world from a different point of view now.
The bond between your characters as siblings on the show is very strong. How did the two of you hit it off behind the scenes so that it translated on screen?
Palak: It is perhaps the best on-paper sibling connection that I have seen in a while. It was easy to execute and we have hopefully done justice to it as actors. Off screen, the two of us also behave like siblings, except that we may not be as emotionally distant as our characters are. Off camera, he and I are a lot more communicative. When he annoys me, I hit him! But Sanober wouldn’t do that to Nihal... she would keep what she feels to herself.
KING: We do a lot of bakaiti (pointless talk, chatter). We are two people with depth who meet and are never serious! (Laughs) We have come to know each other very well and we enjoy each others’ company.
Palak: We are basically like siblings off screen as well, but we talk a lot more and express more freely.
Tell us one instance how you have been protective of your real-life siblings like Nihal and Sanober are in Lukkhe...
Palak: Reyansh (her brother) is nine and there was an 11-year-old girl in his bus who called him “crazy”. Knowing my brother, I am pretty sure he provoked her, but he felt bad and he came and told me. My mom (actress Shweta Tiwari) told him: “Tumne hi kuch kiya hoga”. But I spoke to the girl — which in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have — and demanded to know why she had done it. I expected her to show maturity since she is older than him, but maybe I should have done that too (laughs). But I am very protective of my brother.
KING: My brother is six years older and we are Delhi boys! He has been a huge rock star in every aspect of his life. I am someone who has solved my own problems myself, but I have always known that I have a big brother to rely on. I have learnt a lot of things from him.
All of us feel ‘lukkha’, as in lazy or directionless, at some point in life. What is the secret to overcoming that feeling for you?
Palak: It is about finding something that you love — be it a job or the correct people or a place that you want to go to, a person you are madly in love with.... — that gives you purpose. Once there is something that really drives you, I feel you automatically get direction in life. Take your time, find that one thing — but without pressurising yourself — and the way will find itself to you.
KING: For me, too, it is purpose. But the major problem with a lot of people is that they feel that if they knew their purpose, they would have pursued it. If you can’t find purpose, my advice is to stay cam, stay silent....
Palak: Don’t do self-destructive things!
KING: I feel that if you are feeling directionless, then go through that emotion... don’t run away from it. Feel every question, feel every dilemma, and eventually you will find something that drives you to get up and get going.
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