As Kay Kay Menon returns with the prequel of Special Ops, he shares how the character of Himmat Singh has by far been the most popular

Nonika Singh

On screen he has always been a treat to watch. Kay Kay Menon, the lead protagonist, Himmat Singh, of Special Ops, who returns in the prequel to Neeraj Pandey’s successful series, is a cinephile’s delight. Off screen, in an exclusive Zoom interview, this intelligent man’s actor is as delightful as insightful. He may not go gaga over the fact that an entire series, the prequel even has a tagline The Himmat Singh Story, is dedicated to his character. He merely calls it, “a great and pleasurable experience.” But throw a serious question his way and you get well-articulated answers.

Neeraj and I understand each other even without speaking. His writing is solid; screenplay is so taut that half the battle is won. Lines are so precise that you don’t want to change even a single word. An actor’s life becomes so much easier while working with him.— Kay Kay Menon

On a grand scale

Aftab Shivdasani admits to being a huge fan of the series. An actor of many laughter riots, he makes his entry in Special Ops 1.5. So, how does he view OTT’s obsession with thrillers? He says, “But if that is what the audience wants to watch, OTTs will only cater to their demand and tastes.” Was the Bollywood actor in him pleased by the lavish scale of Special Ops, shot across various continents? “Every film has its own scale and since Special Ops is a spy thriller, the genre itself demanded a vast expanse. I didn’t really compare it to a film. When I take on a project, especially one like Special Ops 1.5, I just adapt to what is required of me.”

First things first, playing a younger version of himself only required him to be himself, with intelligence, so that audience could connect the dots, extrapolate and feel, “Yes, this is what Himmat Singh might have been in his younger days. Two version of the same man can’t be totally diverse.”

In his illustrious filmography that has included more than one stellar part, be it Haider or more recently Ray, Himmat Singh’s character he feels has been by far the most popular one. It has also refreshed him in the minds of the current generation not so clued into his vast body of work. And that he thinks is the biggest plus of the OTT platforms, “It makes actors like us less frustrated and gives us the chance to be more visible to the audiences. Earlier we were at the altar of release and how the movie is going to be released.”

Content is the hero

Whether the medium is driven by actors (as against stars) or not he says, “Content is the hero on OTT. This platform is the middle path between cinema and endless television serials.” Movie releases in theatres, he insists, are spurred by mass psychology. “It is akin to party syndrome where you sway to the beat irrespective of whether you like the music or not. If catcalls and whistles greet stars’ entry on screen, OTT is more of individual viewing and in individual space we tend to be more intelligent and less frivolous.” That is why perhaps realism works better here. Precisely that could be the reason why be it The Family Man or Special Ops, intelligence agents don’t need to be James Bond but real and vulnerable.

But since Special Ops marries fact (remember it was about the attack on the Parliament) with fiction, does he as an actor feel a sense of responsibility or is he apprehensive? For who knows what will offend the viewers? Menon’s take is again precise, “The problem is we have all kinds of education, but no cinema education. If only there was a compulsory subject introducing us to world cinema as well as our very own rich regional cinema, we would understand cinema better and not pick up cudgels without a cause.”

Art of cinema

Passionately ‘dispassionate’ about his work giving it the best shot as long as the shooting schedule lasts, however, he doesn’t let end results bother him.

And wonder about the destiny of the series or the film. Whether art of cinema is changing for the better, he believes, “Change is possible and meaningful only if it is consistent.”

However, one consistency he does promise is Neeraj Pandey’s ability to churn out yet another edge-of-the-seat thriller. “Special Ops 1.5 will be more than 1.5 times better.” As it releases today on Disney+Hotstar, brace yourselves for some extra dose of adrenaline rush.