The Facetious Indian- Sahil Khattar
Here's the long awaited Interview with the funny man Sahil Khattar of Being Indian fame.
Interview taken and Edited by Sukiran Singh
Transcribed by Nidhi Gadhiya , Priya Kakadia and Akanksha Gupta
Images-
Photographed by Sukiran Singh
Styling by Akanksha Gupta
Assistants- Nidhi Gadhiya, Priya Kakadia, Asmita Khanvilkar and Saloni Vora
Makeup - Shraddha Mishra, represented by Akshada Singh
Looks by - GANT India
The Interview-
Sukiran (SU): Where were you born?
Sahil (SA): I was born in a remote town of Punjab called Firozpur. Firozpur being the closest to Pakistan border, my grandfather migrated from Pakistan and they settled down in Punjab; and after that in Firozpur I did a little bit of 2 years of jail time, after I shifted to Chandigarh
SU: how so?
SA: Because there is no exposure and I had to realize. You know what bro, you have drinking problems. I used to drink a lot of milk and then I OD’d on it. (sneaky smile) And that is why I shifted to Chandigarh with my family later.
SU: Tell us more about your childhood
SA: My childhood was not a very kick ass one, it was a very slow start. I still remember my father had a lambretta and four of us would sit on that and go out. I was not born with a golden, silver or even a bronze spoon in my mouth, but with a normal stainless steel spoon, I still remember this story- seven sector Punchkula market is next to Chandigarh, I saw transformers toy, not very special, it was just a robot which transformed into a gun, but I pleaded my parents a lot to buy that for me and it was Rs 110. (SU: 110 had a lot of value then.) So imagine the kind of state I was in. I went to the market 3 times and cried and then finally I got that. And same thing happened for an automatic pencil box.
I was involved in a lot of co-curriculum activities and sports so I hardly had friends from school and college. I only had friends from these current affairs of life.
SU: We all know you are really notorious, were you always so notorious since childhood?
SA: No, you know, as a ‘bad looking guy’ (smirks), this was a side that I had to develop in my life and I said to myself ‘listen you are doing this, you are doing that, you have a nag, you want to be funny and I was trying to be funny till I was 18, 19, 20, 21 and after that when I flipped my life I realized I can be funny in a more endearing way. That is when all the pranks and the notorious activities came into my life. I started seeing everybody’s reaction and it was very positive and that is where I started researching and honed more of my skills and this side of my personality.
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SU: We got to know you are very lucky and famous with ladies in college, why?
SA: SURE! It’s so funny that you got to know that I’m really good with the ladies because that’s not the case. If that was the case, I would have been a dude and I would have been unmarried, 50 and six packs (on Photoshop only). So I wasn’t very good with the ladies, but yes I was very good at communicating since the childhood and I tried to develop that part. I think that kind of somewhere reflects in my personality.
SU: You were telling me about the love guru in college.
SA: So I was in a theatre group in my college and I wanted a very badass role, and that time I had ‘hair’. And that role went to someone else. When I got to know that, I was eating an apple. I just had a bite and I dropped a tear, and after that I left the theatre group. Suddenly next week there were auditions going on for a radio channel and I gave the audition and got the job. I stared doing a show called love guru, which was again by fluke. It still happened when I was 18-19, what next can a guy want? When I started doing that show, it got to become the no.1 show and the jockey. And we use to solve everybody’s love problems. The concept of bringing the love guru in Chandigarh was also very simple, that goes by 3 words ‘copy and paste’. In Delhi and Bombay that concept was a hit, so we thought that we if copy paste the concept in Chandigarh it will also be a hit and it actually happened.
SU: So you were doing well in Chandigarh in the radio, so what made you leave everything and your city and come to Bombay?
SA: On radio, nobody can see your face. They say if you are an entertaining guy and you don’t have a face to support it then you got to do radio this is what people say. No matter how my face looked, I always wanted to come in front of the camera and as an artist from a small city, you know Bombay is a city of dreams and by seeing the glitters of the city, it attracts you here. As a number one radio jokey on the number one show, there was nothing beyond it in Chandigarh. My salary raised 3 times, what can I get more than that. So, I had to come to Bombay.
SU: So, now were in Bombay, tell us about your struggles.
SA: My struggles actually began from Chandigarh itself when my parents never ever allowed me to leave the house and go to Bombay. You won’t believe I had to lie my way out of it, I said I got selected in a reality show. I gave the audition of the same show after coming to Bombay and thank God I got selected. So after that I started looking at jobs, I started getting television shows. At the beginning, I don’t know what made me think that I shouldn’t take money from my parents, even though I come from a decent background. Obviously my savings were washed away, Bombay being an expensive city to live. So, I took a house in a one-room kitchen apartment with friends; I used to sleep on the ground and closest to the toilet. And if someone had pooped in there, I didn’t get to sleep for the next 48 minutes, which is because of the smell. My breakfast used to be a packet of bourbon and a packet of lassi, because shopkeeper used to give it like that. After getting out, if I had food or not, didn’t matter as I was short of money and I didn’t want to ask from parents. I still remember this one moment when I took my bag with all my CV printouts and went out, and at that time the movie Delhi 6 had released, and I was walking with earphones plugged. I was in a really bad mood since I had bad time in the last two-three weeks. I heard this line of the song from delhi 6 ‘darrare darrare mathe pe maula…, mere maula’ , so at that moment tears dripped down my eyes, I was literally crying all my way from one place to another and thinking when will everything be alright. Finally it did happen slowly. I think when I look back I did okay in life.
SU: what’s it like when you have money now?
SA: It’s nothing different. I really loved the poor life that I lived at so many places. There are people of my age are so successful, have a bungalow, a flat, 5 luxury cars and people around them working for them. I don’t have anything even now. I’m decently around a package of a co-operate junky, to be honest, but it’s nothing different. If someone says, let’s watch movie in gold class, I would say why is there something special like your marriage or something? I still like to watch movies paying only Rs150 and not Rs500 though I have those Rs500 to spend but I don’t like that because it is not worth it.
SU: Did you take any professional acting training? If yes, Where?
SA: I never really took any sort of professional training and I’m not really proud of that, because the others are really doing a much better job than me. I’ve always sort of gone by “on-the-job-training”. When I did theatre for the first time and took the stage the first time – that was “on-the-job-training”. Similarly radio, took the mic for the first time – that was “on-the-job-training”, understood how a show is put up, you know. And when I was shot on the camera the first time, which was also “on-the-job-training”. So the last job I took was my training towards my job at present.
SU: So a lot of people do auditions to be successful in the industry and all that? Do you think this audition scene work?
SA: Hands down, it works. It worked out for me like a charm in the first audition I gave in Mumbai. The first audition I gave was for this show aired on Bindass called “Date Trap”. The second day of the audition I had the show and the third day, we were already shooting! And it was the only show that was supremely hit on Bindass in the last 10years, 10 f***ing years, in the comedy genre. After that I gave a lot of auditions like for “Comedy Ka Maha Mukabla” and anchoring for “Manchester United” to name a few. And a lot of the auditions worked out and a lot of them did not! And obviously, you would only be considered for the part based on the auditions you give.
SU: A lot of people do equal struggling in auditions and never get a job even if they’re good at acting. And somebody’s told me that if you know somebody then it works, otherwise it doesn’t?
SA: No, see, that’s an added advantage. Now a lot of people don’t have the entire package; a lot of people are nerve-wrecked or are unable to give their best in the audition, some are just lazy or are over-active and do something unnecessary and it overall affects your performance. You really need to have a shoot temperament to go to an audition and have a mind-set. To have that, you do need prior training for it, and I don’t mean only through acting schools and all, but you need to go out there and experience it through theatre or street plays or practice at home. But, getting work only through contacts and all that jazz is plain bulls**t. No one can ever steal your talent, let anyone who is incredibly famous. If you know they’re not good at acting, they’re not and the “fame” factor doesn’t help there to sustain you in the industry, unless you’re Siddharth Malhotra. (laughs)
SU: Tell us about an interesting audition you gave, some audition that you will never forget.
SA: So there are two equally interesting ones. One is obviously the “Date Trap” wherein I walked through the office with the casting director’s reference to test me for the part. So, I gave the audition and they made me sit outside. I thought to myself “Was it so bad?”. After that the director of the show came in and made me do another audition and made me sit out again and made me wonder if this one was worse. Then the entire team was called in the office and I was made to give the audition again, for the third time, and I kid you not, everyone was in splits! And that audition was one of those I’ll probably never forget!
The other one was an audition for a fictional sitcom that was supposed to be aired on LifeOK. And everyone thinks that TV shows are like small-time work, but it wasn’t. I actually had to play a part similar to Dr. Dolittle; A Dr. Dolittle in a Rajasthani set-up. And I really wish that show would have aired, it would have definitely pushed me to a higher level as an actor in TV industry.
SU: Interesting! How did you get selected for Being Indian? Did you ever think you’ll be a famous YouTube-r?
SA: (pauses) Never thought I could ever be a famous YouTube-r! Honestly, when I came to Bombay, I was looking forward to only two outlets – Radio and Television. And I had a practical approach while thinking it through as I knew, getting into movies is not easy and initially I shouldn’t aim for them either. But eventually, after struggling for 3-4 years I realised I had to pick whatever job was offered to me. So my first job was actually being a script-writer for TV show. And one day randomly I got a call saying they wanted to do some videos for Being Indian and I should pay them a visit the next day. And I had no clue what was Being Indian at that time. So I looked it up and I was surprised to see what potential it held for me if I were a part of it. The brief of my part was a vox-pop format and I knew it was my thing if I was left free on my terms as to being as random and say whatever I wanted to and be funny. So that was my shining moment and Being Indian was my platform and that’s how I became a famous YouTube-r! I think Digital Media has really picked up in India the last 3-4 years. And I really happy that I went with the hunch to be a part of Being Indian.
SU: How do you get such crazy inspirations for the videos you make?
SA: Content, content that’s out there to read, to watch, whatever sort of really good content. Basically, you read or watch all this content and you come up with you own content and strategies in your head and come up with jokes based on the content to go with it. And then we go out on the sets (streets in my case), you improvise it. And it’s really satisfying and fulfilling when I come back home with some meaty stuff that I get, the opinions I get to hear. And it amazes me when I tell my friends about it, what I did, how I took somebody’s case and how they took my case in the end. It’s absolutely satisfying!
SU: Which is your personal favourite Being Indian video as yet?
SA: As clichéd as it sounds, I love all of the videos, all of my Babies that I have literally created. Reason being, I’ve literally been a part of that video right from scripting to the post edit finalisation. But my absolute favourite would be “Know Your Punjabis”, “Being Westernized”, “Pune on Sex”, “Mumbai on Farting”, no wait, that’s not my favourite (giggles), “ Goa Gone Wild” – its motherf*****g wild – but not my favourite. And all these videos are prime example of impromptu videos and they’re my favourite. Oh, and how can I forget – “How to Be Friends with Celebrities” – epic!
SU: Being Indian has made you travel all over India. Did you ever think you would travel so much and is travelling fun?
SA: So I was always travelling as a child as I used to represent my district, my state or my nation playing roller hockey and I got into a lot of co-curriculum activities that always made me travel. And I love the destination and the people I would meet there but I so f*****g hate the journeys, like there’s nothing to do! And I wish I could pick up a book and read it through my journey but I can’t, and I don’t know why! If I have a gruelling schedule ahead, I mostly sleep but if I don’t, I’m literally bored to death!
SU: Tell us about an exciting experience you had when you were travelling.
SA: I don’t know if I’d want to say this. It’s something that is un-achievable by 99% of the world! (giggles). So we went to South Korea to represent India in Roller Hockey and I was this “Bal Bhramachari” for past two months because I heard masturbation kills your stamina in sports, and I was freaking 17, had no clue what-so-ever! Anyway, there was this girl on my way back and we exchanged quite a few stares during the entire journey. Finally, we had an eye contact and she went to the washroom or the aeroplane and in that flight I pushed her bag while she exiting and I went into the lavatory with her and the rest is history! And no one really believes me when I tell this story to them, because it’s nearly impossible.
SU: What kind of comedy genres do you like; seeing that most of the people like Bollywood slapstick for some reason!
SA: Ahaha! I like all kind of comedy genres, I don’t think I have explored all genres but yes, whatever makes me laugh, whatever tickles me is funny. There are preferences though, yes. Nobody likes slapstick 24/7 right, even if the most brilliant kind of slapstick. Sometimes people like dark humour, sarcastic humour, cynical humour, subtle punches, great punches, political satire – there are endless kinds. But people like it only when it’s delivered in right doses. So for me, I like all genres minus slapstick because digital is not about superficial stuff. It’s very realistic, our lives are really realistic and you can’t really fake it in digital medium, so slapstick’s not for me.
SU: Talking of Bollywood, any plans of getting into Bollywood?
SA: All plans…but, no clans. I’ve always preferred roles that are meaty but unfortunately I always end up with bones! *sigh* So I’m not really interested in that. But if the right role comes in, and if I chance, I am going to grab onto that opportunity and go with it!
SU: Do you see yourself playing a serious characters in a movie?
SA: For sure! I want to, rather I thrive to do serious stuff. I would like to do all kinds of stuff, I’d love to do grey shades which are border lining here and there, psychotic roles, Fifty Shades of Grey kind of roles (chuckles), all kinds of roles, till they have meat in it! :D
SU: We heard you recorded a song; any serious plans about a career in music?
SA: There are never serious plans, there’s always serious following-the-path plans. So whatever is in the flow. It might happen, we’re coming up with a quirky song, and it’s called “B***h, you’re so fat!” Though don’t be offended as yet; it follows by “Wow, you’re so fat”. And I wanted to bring, what Devang Patel tried to bring in the late 90’s, the parodies and the funny songs, I want to try and bring that into the digital age and that’s why we’re making the song.
SU: Do you believe that you are a true-blue modern Indian?
SA: Yes, I do think it is valid if you give me that tag. Only because I’ve come from a place of traditions and set myself into the modernity of the country. I’m not saying run around naked in the street, I’m with everyone – wear clothes and go around but what’s the issue with wearing short clothes or revealing clothes – they’re neither your legs nor your cleavage; let one decide if he/she wants to reveal it. If you don’t like it, don’t see it. So that’s just one way of saying it – it’s not about skimpy clothes or covered clothing – modern India is also about the thought process. Just now, there was a girl on the sets of this interview and she wanted to get career advice. Her parents don’t like the fact that she wanted to pursue singing or pursue artist management. That is f****d up! This is what modern thinking should be; to believe in the people around you is modern thinking. The idea is to keep evolving, you need to keep the evolution going otherwise.
SU: Where do we see Sahil Khattar in the next 10 years?
SA: I wish I could answer that. I really can’t answer that. If I was interviewing me, I would have asked the same question and I would have been so intrigued because I have literally tried my hands on everything, apart from being a spot boy, which also I could have, if Farhan Akhtar would have agreed to it! Ahaha, I literally did ask him! So I have tried everything and I don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years. But what I know for sure is that, I will be in a happy state of mind and I would be doing what I’d love to be doing at that time of day and night – that’s for sure!
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