Armaan Khera is an up-and-coming Bollywood actor who was recently seen portraying a significant role in Aryan Khan’s debut directorial, The Bads of Bollywood, on Netflix. He was also seen essaying various characters in films and shows like Kalki, Citadel: Honey Bunny, and Baby John, among others. In an exclusive interview with The Movie Mail, he talks about his experience working with the new filmmaker and their shared vision for the show.
Meanwhile, he also reminisces about the precious moment of meeting Shah Rukh Khan for the first time. The aspiring actor and musician talks about his journey in the industry so far, how he discovered his artistic side, and what inspired him to pursue his passion as a profession.
Edited excerpts:
Q. How did you land Aryan Khan’s debut directorial show? What was the initial process of becoming a part of The Bads of Bollywood?
A. About three years ago, I was shooting Citadel: Honey Bunny near Nainital. After shooting a scene, I went for a walk and called Karan Mally. He has an amazing casting team over here (Mumbai) and has been very generous. He always used to inform me about auditions, but I had not heard from his team in almost a year. So that’s why I called Karan out of the blue, and he mentioned that the casting is underway for a character (Sameer) in Aryan’s directorial debut. Then I auditioned for the role and got the part.
Q. How is Aryan Khan as a director on set? Any anecdote from your one-on-one conversations with him?
A. Aryan is an easygoing, focused, and determined person. He’s also very caring and always asks everyone on the set if they’re okay and happy. One day, while I was waiting for a scene to be shot, Aryan came up to me and asked how I was feeling, whether I liked my scene or not, and how the show appeared to me. I told him that I’m great, the scene is good, and the show is going to be a hit! When I told him that, he looked at me and said, “I’m glad you feel that way because that’s the intention.”
Q. Did you get the chance to meet Shah Rukh Khan personally during the show? Any advice you received from the “Badshah of Bollywood” himself?
A. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet SRK while filming the show, but I met him at the screening at his house, Mannat. Meeting him was a surreal experience, and I was speechless. I always used to think that whenever I met Shah Rukh Khan, I would tell him what I feel about him and more, but when I finally met him, I was wordless, and he carried the whole conversation. He’s such a supremely divine energy that we have in our industry. So, meeting him was a historical moment for me.
Q. Armaan, your acting debut happened in 2020 with the Star Plus TV series Everest. After that, you bagged character roles in Taish, Baby John, Kalki, Citadel: Honey Bunny, and now The Bads of Bollywood. How do you look at your acting journey so far?
A. I see my acting journey as a very colourful adventure and an exciting rollercoaster. I’m always open to working on set and shooting for all the interesting parts that come my way. One day, I’ll be playing a villain or a vampire in a film, and the next, a lover boy. For me, acting is really fun and I genuinely enjoy it. I feel like a spectator in my own journey because of the characters I’m diving myself into in all my projects. I see myself always having fun while acting.
Q. We’ve seen you working with multiple independent musicians as a rapper, singer, and lyricist. Name a few musicians across the world you’d love to collaborate with but haven’t had the chance to yet.
A. I would love to collaborate with A. R. Rahman and Kendrick Lamar (American rapper and singer). I want to work with every great artist, but these two definitely have a very special place in my heart, because they have inspired me to make music.
Q. What inspired you to get into singing and making music?
A. I grew up in Queens, New York, which is also one of the birthplaces of hip hop, and the energy is still there to this day. When I was in school, all we used to listen to was hip hop. Later in life, when I went to New Zealand for higher studies, I saw my friends making music, which excited me. I tried it out, and then I couldn’t part with it. Now that I’ve become a musician, I can’t get enough of it, and I’m always going to make music, no matter what!
Q. How easy or difficult is it for an outsider to break into the industry?
A. If you love what you are doing, then nothing is difficult. Everything is a part of the journey. If you don’t love what you do, then you will definitely feel all those difficulties and challenges. Whether you have a “godfather” in this industry or not, if you genuinely work towards something you love, you will not have a problem.
Q. The Bads of Bollywood grabbed massive attention for all its meta references. Many people say that these references are inspired by real-life incidents. Did you learn about the real stars behind those controversies?
A. There was no intention to create controversy. Obviously, there’s never such an intention, unless it’s planned. However, it wasn’t like that while making The Bads of Bollywood. The show has been crafted with remarkable care. The creators, especially Aryan, wanted to reveal the intensity of situations that can arise within the industry due to status, money, and all the things that surround the people in the film industry.
Q. Is there a character from a recent show or movie that caught your attention and made you want to play something similar?
A. I love every character of Gangs of Wasseypur. Honestly, I gravitate towards the mafia stories and gangster films quite a lot. Even my father believes that I’m best suited for the antagonist roles.
Q. Please, tell us about your upcoming projects.
A. Two music videos are set to be released during Halloween. One of them is called Price2Pay, produced by the Emmy Award-winning producer, Aakash. I’m collaborating with a great Indian rapper named Irfana and a new artist, Sitara. She is only 16 years old and has a beautiful voice. It is going to be a short horror film through a music video.
