ALMOST FAMOUS

Meet debutant Karan Mehta, the star of Anurag Kashyap's Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat

- SAMREEN TUNGEKAR

For a young actor wanting to make it in the film industry, bagging an Anurag Kashyap movie is obviously a dream come true. But for Karan Mehta, it was also the ideal training ground. We’re chatting just days after Mehta’s debut film, Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat opposite Alaya F released, and received a rather welcoming response from audiences and critics alike.

How did he bag this project? Mehta recalls, “In 2016, Anurag sir’s daughter Aaliyah saw a short film I’d made. She really liked it, and showed it to him. I think at that time, she was looking for a new face for his project. Sir told Aaliyah to message me, and I can’t forget that I got that message when I was in the bathroom! (laughs). Anurag sir wanted to meet me. We met and spoke. The things we discussed didn’t end up happening at that time, but he put me through a lot of classes, acting workshops, and things like horse riding and dance. In 2018, he decided to make a film with me.”