If you consume Indian entertainment on a regular basis and have skimmed through all the major films and web series, you must have come across Alexx O’Nell. The multi-faceted actor and singer has displayed a certain finesse in his craft in Aarya, Main Aur Charles, Roohi, Cheeni Kum, Chittagong and RRR to name a few. Additionally, Alexx had also participated in the 2007 edition of the popular dance reality TV show Nach Baliye.
Born in the coastal state of Connecticut, United States, Alexx O’Nell has also written, composed and produced Independent tracks such as Twenty Days and These Four Walls. The stellar who was recently featured in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya exclusively talked to News18 Showsha about his career trajectory.
Here are the excerpts:
What’s the story behind landing a role in Khufiya?
It is a pretty simple one. The Casting Director, Gautam Kishanchandani, pitched my name, I discussed the role with the team, and I did a couple of videos showing how I would perform some of the scenes. Then, a few weeks later, while I was on a paragliding trip in South Africa, my manager messaged me with the news that Vishal Ji wanted me to be a part of his film. I’ve been extremely lucky over the years to have the directors, producers, cinematographers, and actors I’ve worked with recommend me to subsequent films. And even when that’s not the case, casting directors generally have seen, and hopefully liked, my work in some film or series, and they get in touch if they believe something is a good match. In fact, Gautam and I got along so well on ‘Khufiya’ that we worked together again on ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ the upcoming Dharmatic film – but we’ll talk about that more later.
While it’s an actors dream to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, what did you take away from the whole experience?
My experience with Vishal Ji, as it was with Santosh Sivan, Srijit Mukherji, Ananth Mahadevan, AL Vijay, Ram Madhvanai, and so many others, reinforced my conviction that the best directors are the ones that utilize their actors not just as proxies for their imagination, but rather empower them to be respected and celebrated contributors to the building of the characters, and the planning and execution of the scenes. Working with Vishal and Tabu on the climax scene for instance, was a great example of this, and as a result shooting it was an especially memorable experience. We each brought our ideas on how we thought it should play out, and in the end what you see on the screen is significantly different from what was on the page. I don’t want to spoil anything for those that haven’t seen it yet, but Tabu’s KM, and my Dr. White, come to an eerie alliance – one that is both satisfying and disturbing. And this was largely the result of our three minds collaborating on location, on the day of the shoot.
And how were you able to fit in that spy thriller world?
Dr. David White is a psychiatrist, and he also is also a spy for the CIA. He is portrayed, as is each of the characters in ‘Khufiya’, authentically. He is more than just a spy, he has a family life with a wife and a daughter, and a professional life as psychiatrist. ‘Khufiya’ is not like the cliche spy film, where agents are running around shooting guns at each other; Dr. White doesn’t even carry a weapon! Real-life spies like the one in ‘Khufiya’ are individuals that blend in; and Dr. White, as a child psychiatrist, has a good reason for meeting with Ravi frequently without raising suspicion. His son Kunal has been through a traumatic incident, and it would make sense that they would come see him each week. So, with this in mind, fitting into the spy thriller world was really just portraying a normal guy who happens to have a very very significant secret, one that he is strongly committed to, deeply proud of, and diligently engaged in.
What can you tell us about your part in Sweet Kaaram Coffee?
‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’ is a beautiful series about three women: a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter, going on a road trip together. Along the way, they encounter Robert and Julia played by myself and Ayesha Kapur- two travellers from the US, who are living out of their backpacks and hitchhiking across India. Their life is so completely different from anything that these three ladies could ever have imagined, that they have a difficult time even understanding how Robert and Julia survive! But, as the two groups get to know each other, their friendship results in significant cultural appreciation, understanding and exchange. While the three ladies come to truly admire the unreserved affection Robert and Julia show for each other, as well as their freedom to go anywhere and do anything they please, Robert and Julia in turn come to understand that there may indeed be value in some of the norms and traditions that they long ago turned away from. Ultimately, in the presence of the three ladies, Robert and Julia are married, not because society tells them they must be, but because they truly want to be.
While you have previously worked in regional cinema, did the regional OTT space feel any different for you?
Indeed, while I have done quite a few regional films, ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’ is only my second regional OTT series. My first was Srijit Mukherjee’s ‘Robindronath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni’ which, coincidentally, starred Badhon who portrayed Octopus in ‘Khufiya’. In my opinion, I think the regional OTT space is fabulous, but it is really no different than Hindi language OTT. Both are allowing younger filmmakers, with new and fresh stories, the opportunity to make longer form content that allows for greater character development and more immersive stories. Of course, it’s great for actors as well – with different stories come different characters – and that is especially good for an actor like myself.
How were your equations with Madhoo and Ayesha Kapur on the sets of the show? How did you guys bond when you were not shooting?
It’s funny that you would ask about Madhoo and Ayesha because I spent the most time with these two women, both on and off screen, while ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’. Off screen, Madhoo and I shared a long car ride from Delhi to Jhansi by road, and later visited the Taj Mahal together. On screen, we shared one of my favorite scenes: the one in which Kaveri asks Robert a question that causes him to reconsider an idea he took for granted, and ultimately motivates ask Julia to marry him. Off screen, Ayesha and I climbed up the forts of Jhansi and Gwalior and explored together whenever we weren’t shooting. As someone that grew up in Auroville and is naturally in tune with nature, Ayesha brought to her character an authenticity in portraying Julia that made it easier for me to be Robert. And, as my character’s love interest in the series, her charm and beauty lit up the screen and I think our strong friendship off screen made for great chemistry on screen.
Having these two fabulous women along for the road trip made shooting ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’ a joy for me.
And the most memorable thing that happened with you during the course of the shoot?
I have so many wonderful memories from ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee’. I already mentioned the Taj Mahal with Madhoo, and Jhansi and Gwalior forts with Ayesha, but there were also lovely moments on screen like the dance party / proposal in the clearing by the lake, exploring the temple ruins, riding a classic 500 on the highway with a bunch of motorcycles behind me and Ayesha standing on the back with her scarf in the air, the entire wedding sequence and how incredibly beautiful it was. By the way, for those that haven’t watched the bonus content for the wedding episode, episode #6 – do check it out, Ayesha and I do an interview in character regarding the wedding, it is really nice. So many memories!
You can proudly say that you were part of RRR, the movie which won us multiple Oscars. What was your reaction when the film’s name was called out? And what can you recall about the time when you were actually shooting your scenes? Did you ever feel that the film will receive so much of global appreciation?
South Indian films that I am sincerely proud of include ‘Madharasapattinam’ which starred Amy Jackson in her debut, Arya, and myself in the lead roles. And ‘Urumi’, which is a phenomenal war epic by Santosh Sivan in which I play a double role alongside Prabhudeva, Prithviraj, Genelia D’Souza, Vidya Balan and so many more.
‘RRR’, in contrast, was quite meaningless for me. The role that was presented to me was entirely different from what it turned out to be; I neither tell people I was a part of the film, nor do I even regard it as one of my films. With that said, I’m glad that ‘RRR’ did so well pan-India and internationally, and hope that it paves the way for subsequent South Indian films to reach a wider audience and greater appreciation.
Along with being an actor, you also dabble in music. How did you come up with These Four Walls? What’s the story behind the song and your process creating and producing it?
I don’t just dabble, I actually commit a great deal of time and effort to music; Especially because, as an independent musician, the composition, production, distribution, and promotion all rest on my shoulders. To begin, I compose all my music sitting alone with a guitar. My process is to focus on a very emotionally intense moment from my personal experience, and for ‘These Four Walls’, that was a break up I went through a few years back. I strum chords, hum melodies, and essentially see what materialises. As I’m finalising the chord structure and the melody that I find most pleasing, I move on to writing lyrics to replace the humming… and I obsess over the lyrics. Eventually, when I’m happy with it, I take the song to someone like Debarpito Saha, who then helps me to make clean recordings of the guitars and vocals, and who can incorporate elements, in this case very subtle ones, to further develop the overall sound of the song. Debarpito, my friend and an exceptional musician in is own right, coincidentally did the background score for ‘Khufiya’. The end result of my work with Debarpito was the unplugged version ‘These Four Walls (Acoustic)’ which was my 5th and most recent release, I released it after the electro-pop version. You see, in the case of this composition, I also took it to a South African producer, David Pearce of DJ Cosher’s ‘Cosher Studios’ in Cape Town, who used the acoustic work as a foundation to create an up beat, electro pop, danceable, main stream, radio friendly track: ‘These Four Walls’, which my 4th single and music video.
You have completed over 15 years in the entertainment industry. As someone who came from a different culture and country altogether, do you feel it took you a long time to gain the kind of fame that you enjoy today?
It’s crazy to think it’s been that long since my first film ‘Cheeni Kum’ released! I think it takes most people, regardless of industry or background, a very long time and a lot of hard work to become ‘an over night success.’ I suppose, after all these years, I do have some level of fame, but it has ebbed and flowed over time. I remember after Nach Baliye for example, it seemed like every stranger on the road knew my name, and that was ‘early’ in my career in India. Then, after ‘Madrasapattinam’ it was the same situation in South India, and more recently in West Bengal after ‘Golondaaj’. Often, just yesterday for example, up here in Leh where I’m shooting ‘Lucifer 2 Empuraan’, I had fans of ‘Aarya’ chat with me about how much they loved the series, and Bob. But frankly, as nice as it is to be appreciated, I’ve been around long enough to know that fame is fleeting, it comes and it goes, and it comes back again, and so on. More important to me is having great projects come my way. Sure, there are some not-so-great ones that get pitched to me as well, and thats fine. I’m always grateful whenever somebody thinks of me to be a part of their project. But when a film or a series just isn’t right for me, I’m more than happy to turn to music, paragliding, scuba, diving, motorcycle riding, and any of my other interests. It is essential to have interests other than acting – it’s funny, but when you don’t need to do a project, the chances of it happening, and happening on your terms, drastically increase.
Do you feel the representation of white people and actors in the industry has improved? In the context of the kind of work they get, the frequency of work and other aspects? What’s the future of it?
I honestly can’t comment on the representation of white people in film, or the situation of white actors in the industry. I don’t really pay much attention to what others are doing, so I can only speak to my experience. And in that regard, I recently had a conversation with a journalist where, in response to a similar question, we meticulously reviewed all 54 of my IMDb credits. We took a look at the various films and series I’ve been a part of over the past 15 years, as well as the kinds of roles I’ve portrayed. It probably won’t come as a surprise that all my characters were male and of white ethnicity, but beyond these commonalities, their differences were quite striking. Just focusing on the past few years, I’ve portrayed a range of characters, such as an American Sanskrit musician and Bhagavad Gita student in ‘Aarya,’ an American documentary journalist in ‘Roohi,’ an American plane crash survivor in ‘Robindronath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni,’ a British military man and footballer in ‘Golondaaj,’ an American backpacker in ‘Sweet Kaaram Coffee,’ and an American psychiatrist and spy in ‘Khufiya.’ However, to me, even more crucial than the roles themselves and their similarities or differences is the incredible journey they represent. In these projects alone, I had the privilege of sharing the screen with remarkable actors like Rajkummar Rao, Varun Sharma, Janhvi Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Badhon, Dev Adhikari, Madhoo, Ali Fazal, and Tabu. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most talented directors in the world, including Ram Madhvani, Hardik Mehta, Srijit Mukherjee, Dhrubo Banerjee, and Vishal Bhardwaj. Moreover, I played an integral role in bringing stories to life that have been enjoyed by millions and millions of people. And frankly this is what keeps me excited about being an actor.
Your role in Aarya was a powerful one? I remember how traumatized I was to see how dark the show got for your character. Did it mentally impact you in any way? Where do you put that character on a scale of 1-10, in terms of most challenging role of your career?
I absolutely loved playing the role of Bob Wilson in ‘Aarya’. The way he changes from the first episode to the last was truly mesmerising, and completely unexpected. I am forever indebted to Ram Madhvani for writing, and then trusting me with, such an interesting and multi dimensional character. An American musician in the midst of a family of Indians, who espouses to them the value of the Bhagavad-Gita. A man who begins in the realm of ecstasy, who is introduced literally marrying his true love, but who slowly begins to get drawn in to the disfunction and violence that defines the family. A genuinely loving and spiritual man who descends into pain and tragedy, and ultimately turns to cold blooded revenge. I have to admit, getting into this character did affect me more than most of my projects. Arya was shot in an incredibly realistic fashion; at times hauntingly realistic. And just as it was extremely easy for me to identify with Bob and to completely justify his actions, it was equally easy for me to imagine going down the same road… in fact, I can’t see what else Bob could have done. It was a universe and a set of circumstances that made a truly good man, bad. So, to your question, getting into Bob’s head wasn’t challenging. But it was really really tragic place to be, and getting out took some time.
Aarya Season 3 is coming. Is there any way that your character can make a comeback? If not in this season but the future of the show? Since I feel there were many loose ends to it and your character deserved more.
I agree, Bob is an incredibly interesting and unique individual. Unfortunately, while I would love for it to be so, he won’t be seen in season 3. Maybe 4? I really don’t know. I’m open to re-entering the world of ‘Aarya’, and of course, working with Ram Madhvani on this or anything else he may have in mind for me.
Of all your upcoming projects, which one are you more excited about and why? And spill something about your character in Ae Watan Mere Watan?
Two of the most exciting of my upcoming releases are Dharmatic’s feature film ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ in which I star alongside Sara Ali Khan, and the Amazon Original Series ‘Bak Bak’ with Divya Dutta. ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ was announced with a teaser a few months ago, but ‘Bak Bak’ has, as of yet, not even revealed a poster.Nevertheless, you can see some of these projects’ details on IMDb at http://www.IMDb.com/AlexxONell and you can even track them to get notified of updates. With that said, I don’t want to get ahead of the producers by revealing too much, but what I can tell you about these two upcoming projects is that they are completely different in every aspect… except one: language. For both I have worked extremely hard on my Hindi, harder than I have worked on any project before. This is due to the fact that in ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ my character speaks almost entirely in Hindi, and in ‘Bak Bak’ he speaks only in Hindi. This has been a significant challenge for me, but it is a challenge that I welcome. I not only hope that audiences appreciate my performances, but I hope that following these releases I will be approached for more roles in Hindi, roles that I earlier might not have been considered for.
Now that you are also releasing music independently, what can one expect? Will you be exploring other, more contemporary genres too like Indie Rock, Progressive Rock in future?
These are great questions! As I mentioned a moment ago, ‘These Four Walls’ was not just my fourth single, but it was the first song to come out of my collaboration with Cosher Studios in Cape Town. I consider the production to be quite contemporary, much like Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, or Ed Sheeran’s newer music. While it has guitar at its core, it also features a lot of upbeat, electronic pop elements that make it quite peppy and danceable. And the acoustic version, with its unplugged production, is timeless – the pairing of acoustic guitar and vocals never goes out of style. ‘These Four Walls’ did quite well in South Africa. I did a couple of interviews in Cape Town in support of the release, and it was played in rotation on three major radio stations which I think was really good for my first release there. Here in India I did an interview on RadioOne and at the same time played some of my songs acoustically in the studio. It was lovely, but unfortunately that is the only English language radio in the country. The videos on my artist channel Https://www.YouTube/AlexxONellMusic, and the audio on Indian and International platforms, have done rather well, the pop version better than the acoustic version though.
Yes, I will definitely be experimenting with different genres – for example my next song ‘Pride’ is a foot-stomping rock anthem centered around a distorted electric guitar, a catchy piano riff, and unique beats making the final mix reminiscent of Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, and other such indie pop rock bands. I’m headed back to South Africa next month to put the finishing touches on the audio as well as the video which was shot by Director and Cinematographer Danie Nel, and I hope to release them before the end of the year. Like all of my music, ‘Pride’ will be available not only on the international platforms like Spotify, Amazon, Tidal and Deezer, but also the services most popular in India like Hungama, Gaana, JioSaavn, etc. And all my videos are on my official channel Https://www.YouTube/AlexxONellMusic .
And also, will you also be exploring possible collaboration with artists?*
I would love to collaborate! Both with artists in India, as well as in South Africa. I haven’t made a significant effort in this regard – but I really want to.
How do you juggle between acting and music?
The schedules of my Films and Series take into consideration the availability of dozens to hundreds of artists, technicians, and locations, while my Music and Music Video production team is 5 people at most. Therefore, my manager Shreeda Kirtikar of Metta Talent and I lock in my film and series shooting dates as early as possible, usually a month or two in advance, and then schedule my studio recording, video shooting, and ultimately the music releases and promotions around these dates. It’s a delicate process which is made even more difficult by the fact that shoot dates are always subject to change at the last minute, and the reality that my music is now largely being executed in South Africa while my acting is primarily in India, but, its worth it, and we’re making it work as best we can.
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