Kay Kay Menon on Love All, awards, directors, and OTT

Kay Kay Menon, the popular Kerala-born actor, is all set for the release of his upcoming sports drama film, Love All, directed by Sudhanshu Sharma. This Hindi sports drama film will see him play Siddharth Sharma, a former badminton star. It will be released in theatres on 1st September.
In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Kay Kay Menon talks about his views on sports as well as about the reason why he cannot accept ‘The Best Actor’ award! He also talks about the success of OTT platforms.

Did you play any sports during your childhood?
I used to be a sprinter but at that point of time, sports were not give enough importance. No one could really think of taking it as a profession at that time. Moreover, you also needed a lot of hard-work to sustain in the field. So somewhere in between the sports person in me died.

Do you feel ‘Love All’ will encourage the game of badminton?
I feel badminton is a wonderful sport, and our country has produced many brilliant players. In this film, Sudhanshu Sharma (director) has showcased this game beautifully. The director himself used to be a badminton player, and that is the reason the film has all the details of the sport.

How does Kay Kay Menon approach a role?
The first thing I try to do is to understand the character well. I just have to love the script. After that I don’t think much. While playing I just extract my best for the role.

How important is a director for a film in your opinion?
I feel director is most important, because as an actor, I have my first conversation regarding any film with the director. While discussing, you get to know each other and decide on the wave length as well.

While doing the film, did you feel at any time it is deviating from the script?
If you know you are going to lose a match, you will still play it. It happened with me also when I knew that the film direction was not going according to the script but I still stayed back and did my job with full dedication.

What is winning according to you?
I feel winning is a temporary phase. Next time you can taste defeat. Because at present you can be the best, but there will always be someone who is better than you. That is the reason I never accept the ‘Best category’ awards anywhere. In our field it is very subjective. One should take an award always with a token of appreciation but to give someone best is just to pamper an artist’s ego.

Do you feel a film can be the changing factor for the society?
Maybe it can change a few people, but it cannot be a wave. I have said this long back that whenever there is any crisis, entertainment is not your basic need. We have seen this during the pandemic (Covid). Whenever you are happy and you have money you enjoy this art form.

How much have you benefited from the rise of OTT platforms?
I will say immensely! Before OTT, I was mostly type-casted as a villain. OTT has given me diverse opportunities to do many roles.