Armaan Khera: UA Exclusive Interview

Actor and singer Armaan Khera has been seen in several projects, from Eminen’s Venom music video to Bejoy Nambiar’s Taish. We had a chat with him about his recent projects, music, and plans for the future.

1. What first drew you towards acting and music?

I’ve always been drawn towards art. I just wish I allowed myself a chance to pursue it earlier. I grew up loving films and admired actors that influenced me to build stronger characters. As I grew older, I noticed myself getting distracted by other opinions of what I should do with my life. Then I started making music with the family we built in New Zealand. Progressing in music gave me the confidence to actually drop out of college for the second time and also start auditioning in Mumbai and making music full time.

2. Tell us about your experience singing, writing lyrics, and acting in Bejoy Nambiar’s Taish. Which aspect of it did you enjoy the most?

Taish was an experience of a lifetime. I’d been practicing my craft for a while and Bejoy sir blessed me with the opportunity to showcase it in this project. I’ve been over the moon since Karan Mally called me and asked if I’d accept the offer to be on board. The happiness of being on set and also connecting with such exceptional artists allowed me to enjoy every single moment. Thankfully, everyone on set was passionate about music and urged me to share mine as well. Little did I know that the team took notice and eventually asked if I could write and record a verse to ‘All I see is the Light’ which is the reprise track for ‘Roshni si’, produced by the extremely talented Prashant Pillai. I enjoyed every aspect of my work on Taish, equally. This project shall always remain the closest to my heart.

*Armaan Khera with Harshvardhan Rane. The two were seen in Taish.*

3 What are your goals for next year?

My main goal for 2021 is to achieve a consistent level of work. There have been countless seasons of work and even more seasons without work on this journey I’m on. I’ve realized that my happiness lies in being occupied with what I love to do and this is an achievement I’m beginning to enjoy already.

4. What style of music do you produce? Who would you cite as your musical inspirations?

I make Hip Hop music. I write, record and produce my own content while collaborating with fellow artists on a regular basis. I’m influenced by anyone who works hard to produce art that lives forever. These days I’m usually jamming Travis Scott in the car and some Shiloh sampled instrumentals to unwind after.

5. How did you land your role in Everest?

That’s an interesting story. I was on my way to a Chevrolet audition one morning and encountered two other actors as I arrived at the location. They told me that I wouldn’t fit the criteria since they were looking for relatively shorter participants. They went on to say that there’s an audition nearby for a new show that Mr. Ashutosh Gowariker was producing. Excited by this information, I offered both actors a ride in the auto and we reached the next location. ‘Shortlisted Actors Only’ was written right outside. I didn’t know what to do so I decided to stand outside for a bit. Just before I decided to make a move, Nalini ma’am (Nalini Ratnam) walks outside for a break with her assistant. She looked at me and I asked who I was. I don’t think she even paying attention to what I was saying. Instead, she looked at her assistant, looked back at me and said ‘Vidhaan’.

6 Do you have any upcoming projects that people can look forward to?

Yes of course! We just returned from Rishikesh a couple of days ago as we were shooting for our next song called ‘Bombay Ka Jadoo’ which was initially a solo track by Siktan (Tanish Bansal) until we met earlier this year and I expressed my interest in featuring on it. For our listeners who have heard ‘No Time’ by VYLOM (Vaibhav Anand), expect an extra Christmas gift this year!! I Will also be acting in Nikko Wadley’s music video for his epic track, ‘I’ll Go Harder’, which is set for release in early 2021.

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A post on Bombay Ka Jadoo from Armaan Khera’s Instagram

7. What hobbies do you engage in during your spare time?

I love driving. That’s been my hobby lately. I can drive all day and all night and no matter how tired I am, I’m bound to feel refreshed in the process. ESPECIALLY if there’s music playing and I’m also surrounded by the people I love (masks on, of course). I practice meditation, yoga, martial arts and also workout regularly with my ninjas. Photography is something I enjoy as well so it isn’t rare for me to bust out my camera and start taking photos and videos of the beauty around me. I also love watching good content so I manage to end my days with a movie, a series or just a video on YouTube.