Who’s afraid to laugh?

Jasmine Singh

Actor Dev Kharoud has come to be the first choice of filmmakers and production houses when it comes to serious, action-oriented films and biopics. But not many know the actor with a background in theatre started off by doing comedy shows on television.

While promoting his upcoming film Kaka Ji along with co-actors Jagjeet Sandhu and Aarushi Sharma in Chandigarh, the actor who has hit a six with his last release Daakuan Da Munda, shares the reason why it was important to lighten up a bit, in films!

“As I shared, I started my television career by doing comedy shows, so when I was approached to do Kaka Ji, I told myself, ‘why not get back to something that I haven’t tried for long.’ This film has romance, light-hearted well-placed comedy, and since the content was new and fresh, I said yes to the project,” shares the actor, who calls Daakuan Da Munda, a film that made the audiences fall in love with his acting.

“I have done films like Rupinder Gandhi 1 and, but doing Daakaun Da Munda meant accepting a huge challenge,” adds Dev. 

The film Daakaun Da Munda released in later half of 2018 was based on the life of former kabaddi player Mintu Gurusaria, who was a drug addict and gangster was well received by the critics as well as the audiences. “My background in theatre helped me justify the character. Theatre equips an artiste to play different kinds of roles. The only reason I could do this role was because I could handle the pressure of it. Also, because none other than Dream Reality believed that I was the apt choice for it.” Post the film, congratulatory messages was a routine for Dev Kharoud, who does hint at how the industry hadn’t recognised his talent till the movie finally came. 

Today, as he talks about a light hearted subject Kaka Ji, Dev assures that he would never do a film which lacks content, “I agree that there is no formula to make a successful film but at the same time, I believe in the power of good content, and this is my sole criteria for selection of films.”

Dev is one of the few actors who is known to have single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of a film, a hero who doesn’t 

need padding. “It is a huge responsibility and also a big thing that an artiste like me can play a solo hero. Here again, I think being a theatre artiste has really helped me.” 

Although Dev is open to more comedy projects, his next film Blackiya is again based on a serious topic. “If people like me laughing, I might to try to laugh again on screen...,” he leaves it for public to judge. 

Gang war & peace 

Kaka Ji is a romcom, a story from the late 90s when the “kale kachia wale” gang was the most talked about in Punjab. During this time of terror Kaka ji (Dev Kharoud) fell in love with Deepi (Aarushi Sharma), a college going girl from another village. The story is about how Kaka ji, the son of royal sardar Avtar Singh Brar, saves his love.