A midnight call from India and a week later Indian-Australian actor Sanjeev Mehra was involved in a murder mystery at Buckinghamshire, England.
The new release The Buckingham Murders featuring high-profile Indian actor Kareena Kapoor Khan is receiving praise from critics since it opened last week.
Talking about his role in the film, Sanjeev Mehra tells Indian Link, “I play the role of Kareena’s dad, in this dark murder mystery. As a supportive father, I’m the only compassionate and emotional character in this film!“
He adds, “I related to this character straightaway, as it is very close to me in real life, I’m a compassionate person and a single parent to my sons. And so Kareena and I connected straightaway.”
The film marks a kind of comeback for Mehra after thirteen long years – although he will be quick to correct you.
“I was here all along,” he laughs. “I never really went anywhere! There were roles coming my way, but not substantial enough for me to travel to India for.”
It was a midnight call that made it worth it this time round.
“It was casting director Mukesh Chhabra on the line,” Mehra describes. “He asked me to send some photos asap, which I obliged. He then briefed me about the film, the cast, the director Hansal Mehta (who is a good friend) and offered me the role.”
Shortly thereafter, Sanjeev Mehra was London-bound, where the film was made.
Though this film marks his comeback, Sanjeev is no novice to the film industry. He started his career as a young stage actor in 1977 at the age of 16. The arc lights in Bollywood beckoned, and Mehra found himself on screen, with roles in television series such as Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Vada Raha, Great Maratha, Left Right Left, etc. He was on the top of his career when he migrated to Australia in 2008.
Struggling to find work in the entertainment industry here, Mehra designed the first web channel ‘TV Ozone’. Unfortunately, due to shortage of funds and resources it could not survive long.
Determined and passionate for his craft, Sanjeev did bounce back. He is now the founder of Channel Number One, which provides a launch platform for budding actors and filmmakers. He has acted in various TV commercials, has been an episode director and line producer for an Indian TV show Adrishyam by SonyLiv, and has acted in an Australian movie Unseen Enemy.
Currently, he is workshopping a film on Indian seniors involving migrant parents as the actors.
Though Sanjeev Mehra has a varied experience in acting, his heart lies in developing a platform for deserving talent in Australia.
“There is no dearth of Indian talent in Australia,” he notes. “Indian artists should not need to go to India to seek opportunities. With my experience, I want to mentor and train students through my mentoring program. I want to create a platform for our talent to give them opportunities. I want to create a legacy here for deserving talent.”
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