‘Kay Kay Menon reserves all his charismatic power and intensity for the screen,’ says Vivek Madaan

Vivek Madaan/PR image

Actor Vivek Madaan plays the sinister antagonist Sankalp Chaudhary in the Kay Kay Menon, Aftab Shivdasani starrer Special Ops 1.5. The actor speaks to mid-day.com about what went into the making of the web series.

How did Special Ops 1.5 happen and how was it working with the team of the web series?
I shall proudly wear it like 'a badge of honour' for life, that after hundreds of men were rejected, the universe finally blessed me through Neeraj (Pandey) sir approving me for the part of this mysterious and sinister antagonist Sankalp Chaudhary! He seems a little reserved in person, but when donning the director's hat, he's turbo-charged and on full throttle! He is with the DOP, the steadicam operators and in the action all the time with such laser sharp focus. And mind you, nothing escapes this hawkeye. He's fastidious, super meticulous and very particular. I haven't ever seen such clinical precision and rapt attention in the midst of such complex camera moves. So all one has to do is just obey his instructions to the T with implicit faith in the outcome. For the first time ever, I never bothered with the playback of takes. I had respectfully surrendered to the vision of this brilliant man! For an outsider, not from a film family/clique to have come so far and so soon, he's not even 50 is an accomplishment very few in the business can speak of. And for that you have to be ferociously talented at your craft. It was an absolute privilege to work on Special Ops 1.5 with Neeraj Sir at the helm. Kay Kay (Menon) sahab is a man of few words, very soft spoken and mild mannered. He preserves all his charismatic power and intensity for the screen. To meet his icy gaze in the climatic face-off we have, was nothing short of daunting. Here is a man I have long admired in several electrifying performances over the years and had yearned to work with and it finally happened up, close and personal in Special Ops 1.5.

A lot of film and TV actors are jumping onto the web series bandwagon…
Actors are essentially actors. Nobody chooses to be a TV actor or an OTT actor, or a film actor. Actors have a limited shelf life and hence can't afford to be too choosy. It is a very difficult life to pursue the arts with passion. You need to work and survive in the business. TV is usually prolonged engagement and hence regular, sustained income, whereas for a movie or OTT project, it is barely a few days of work. Unless you have made it big ‘luck by chance' or through a breakthrough performance, any and every paying job helps you foot the bills and stay afloat in an expensive city like Mumbai. It's as simple as that.

Where do we see you next?
After the fantastic response to our show Special Ops 1.5, 2021-2022 is an exciting line up of prestigious projects on OTT and features, both. There is Aranyak releasing shortly on Netflix, Breaking,with Endemol Shine, Family Man director duo Raj and DK's next Sunny for Amazon Prime. I am a part of Ajay Devgn's Runway 34 and also an upcoming spy thriller with Reliance Entertainment.

Also Read: Special OPS 1.5 Web Review: Special, in a sweet sorta way