Why So Serious?

From being a stand-up comic to a movie actor, Kanan Gill shares his journey.

- Ushnota Paul

As Kanan Gill and I look for a coffee shop in Bandra on a sultry afternoon, a girl in a passing rickshaw shrieks, “Kanaaan!” on spotting him. Such is the popularity of this dishy young stand-up comic, who shot to fame with Pretentious Movie Reviews on YouTube, where he reviewed movies of yore with fellow comic and friend Biswa Kalyan Rath. From duds like Prem Aggan to classics like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), the duo spared none and entertained audiences with their lighthearted analysis.

As we sip coffee, Kanan tells me he was lucky to have landed a plump role in the Sonakshi Sinha starrer Noor. Directed by Sunhil Sippy, Noor is based on Pakistani author Saba Imtiaz’s novel Karachi, You’re Killing Me! It has Sonakshi in the titular role while Kanan plays Saad Sehgal, Noor’s best friend. “Saad says a lot of funny lines and makes people laugh. But at the same time, this happy-golucky guy has a mature side. He’s there for Noor during her tough times,” he says explaining his role.

Ask him if this is an ideal debut and he shrugs. “I actually want to make movies. I wrote a movie last year but I’m not sure if I should sell the story to someone else or see it through till the end. In fact, this is the first time I’ve acted in something I’ve not written. Noor was a completely new place,” he says.