Over the years Alexx O'Nell has played some great characters that might not be as fleshed out in the script, but stand out among the barrage of important characters created by some of the brightest minds in Indian cinema on screen.
These characters, however, have layers within layers and a distinct identity whenever Alexx slips into their shoes. In Khufiya, Alexx’s portrayal of Dr David White stands out elevating the tension in the penultimate scenes further.
But in the recently released independence period drama. Ae Watan Mere Watan, Alexx plays John Lyre, the dark yet masterful baddie who’s on the chase to hunt down freedom fighter Usha Mehta (played by Sara Ali Khan) and the Congress Radio.
Our conversation with Alexx prompts him to peel off the layers and present to us the menace that John Lyre is. He also opens up about the experiences of acting in different industries across the country, learning Bengali, being in the business for a decade and more…
Excerpts:
What are some nuances/traits of John Lyre that made him an interesting character for you to play?
John Lyre is incredibly interesting because he is a fictional character within an otherwise historical film. Usha Mehta is a historically accurate character as is Ram Manohar Lohia but John Lyre is not. Director Kannan Iyer along with Darab Farooqui who co-wrote this film created John Lyre as the amalgamation of all things British Empire. There are all the negative things like the ruthlessness of the oppression but there are also a lot of…well, not-so-negative things or at least not in and of themselves being negative — the intelligence the efficiency.
Now, John Lyre uses his intelligence and his efficiency to fight against Congress Radio and Usha Mehta and her friends but there is no doubt that the British Empire was brilliant and utilized that intelligence ruthlessly. So some of the nuances in that regard about John Lyre are that he's fluent in Hindi. Not only is he linguistically intelligent but he's also technologically intelligent and this intelligence I think is quite terrifying, to be honest. It's what makes him effective and that along with ruthlessness makes him an incredibly competent adversary against Usha Mehta, Congress Radio, Ram Manohar Lohia and all of those who are fighting for the Indian independence.
So this dark persona was incredibly interesting for me and not only is he dark in his characterisation but he's also very dark in his appearance. He appears mostly at night which you'll probably notice when you see the film but he also. He doesn't wear any insignia of being part of the military so he doesn't have any constraints there either. So he is a very interesting character who does not exist within the ranks of the military or the police, who's not constrained by them and yet who has control over the police and has access to the latest technology and the latest methods.
What was it like working with Sara Ali Khan? Any moment from the set that stands out for you currently?
Well, working with Sara was an absolute joy. I think that I met a different Sara than most of her co-actors meet. I didn't meet the bubbly Sara. I didn't meet the pranking Sara or the joke-cracking Sara. I met a very serious actress who perhaps for the first time in her career was taking on such an important role. I think that the set was rather subdued because all of us understood the gravity of this situation to tell this story right. I met her on set as a co-actress, as someone with whom I was engaged in telling this story. On-screen, we are adversaries. Off-screen, we were friendly, but we certainly weren't best friends. And I think that that is also intentional from my side.
As for any moments from the set that stand out to me? Well, I've spoken in the past about the famous slap, where Sara insisted that I actually slap her so that she could give the proper reaction. But I would say that, yes, just being a part of those very, very emotionally intense scenes that she and I share, and there are only a few, but they are the most intense scenes of the film. So being in those moments with her truly was a privilege. And to be part of telling this story, Usha's story, even though my character is the antagonist, was a privilege as well.
Having worked in multiple industries within the Indian film scene, how similar or different do you feel the filmmaking process is in the country?
I would say that fundamentally it's all the same. We're trying to tell stories and doing the best that we can to do that. Nobody makes a film, or at least nobody I know makes a film about a story that they're not passionate about.
So at the end of the day what we're trying to do is convey emotion and create emotion for the audience. And then, of course, that's when the differences come in. Working in West Bengal and working within that culture, working with the stories that Bengalis have access to because of their history, and of course also because of the wonderful writers that they have that are making contemporary work.
Similarly in South India, the stories that they have as a part of their culture, a part of their history, some of the most cutting-edge cinema that has been made in India, and oftentimes national award-winning, has been Malayalam cinema. And to be a part of Malayalam cinema has been a privilege. And then of course Hindi and Bollywood. Having worked inother places worldwide, because with OTT our films end up travelling farther than you can imagine, and that's one of the beautiful things about this technological change in our industry.
But in terms of differences, I would say that Hindi, while it is a bit easier, is still tough for me, and Bengali is even more difficult. I'm currently working on my fifth Bengali film, and working my way through Bengali dialogues. The unique challenge there is that it's almost like Hindi, so I end up defaulting to speaking Hindi when it needs to be slightly different to be a Bengali.
You've also been shooting for Phule. How was it working with the cast and crew of the team?
Phule is a beautiful film. Anant Mahadevan is a wonderful director who, like Kannan Iyer, wants to shed light on some incredibly important and in some ways unknown pieces of Indian history. Jyotiba Phule is one of those individuals who deserves to be talked about and appreciated. Anant has made n number of films. Phule was a beautiful project to be a part of, not only because of Anant Mahadevan's vision but also because of Pratik Gandhi's and Patralekha's performance. Pratik and I had never met before, but we shared a lovely time on location and some beautiful conversations after the shoot had wrapped. Patralekha is a wonderful performer and I'd been hoping to work with her for a very long time. I'd met Patralekha before, but I had never had the opportunity to work with her. So, that was another wonderful thing about working on Phule. I don't know when Phule is going to be released, but hopefully soon. And I am grateful for the opportunity to have played a small part in that very beautiful and important film.
After a great response to Pride, what else is in store when it comes to your musical ventures?
After Pride, I look forward to the next release, which is, Ghosts. All of my songs have music videos. I feel like picturizing the song is very important. It gives me a lot of creative fulfilment to have a video go along with every song. I truly do feel like music is a way that I connect with the audience perhaps in a much more personal way than via my films. So Ghosts coming out soon.
What are some of your all-time favourite Indian films?
I hope it's not cheating to mention some of my films. As an actor, I think that we tend to see the film a little bit differently because when I watch Main Aur Charles, Madrasapattinam, Joker or Chittagong or any of my films, I'm experiencing not just what you see on the screen but also the memories of having made them. Therefore, they become that much more special. They also show me at a particular period in time.
In terms of the ones that I think are the best, I would say Main Aur Charles even though it never really got its due. I think it is a beautiful film and I'm extremely proud to have been a part of it. Urumi is another wonderful movie made by I think one of India's finest cinematographers and directors, Santosh Sivan. And it also perhaps one of the best casts ever assembled, Vidya Balan, Genelia D'Souza, Prabhudeva, and Prithviraj. Madrasapattinam, is another film that I'm incredibly proud of. Amy Jackson's first movie. It was me, Amy and Arya. And that film is, I think it's perfection. It's editing, it's music, the performances.
But if I had to pick one that I was not in, I would say 3 Idiots is a beautiful film that has an incredibly important message. And whenever that is on TV, if I'm shooting somewhere and flipping through the channels and that comes on, that's one that I'll watch to the end. Also, Rang De Basanti, is another beautiful film.
Ae Watan Mere Watan is now streaming online.
