Despite remaining unreleased in its home country, Anurag Kashyap’s critically acclaimed film ‘Kennedy’ continues to garner international recognition, with actor Rahul Bhat’s powerful performance as a supposedly deceased police officer operating in the shadows earning particular praise. The film received a remarkable seven-minute standing ovation at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, establishing Bhat’s transformation from television heartthrob to serious character actor.
Bhat’s journey from his childhood in Vichar Nag, Srinagar, to Bollywood exemplifies resilience amid adversity. Forced to flee during the Kashmiri Pandit exodus of 1989-90, his family lost everything in the displacement. “We anticipated returning home, but never did. All childhood memorabilia were plundered,” Bhat revealed during the film’s screening at Dubai’s Mitti Indian Independent Film Festival.
After relocating to Mumbai post-high school, Bhat initially found success in television, with his earnings skyrocketing from ₹7,000 to ₹1 lakh per episode during the peak of his TV career. However, his Bollywood debut in the commercially unsuccessful ‘Yeh Mohabbat Hai’ led to professional disillusionment. This setback prompted a strategic pivot toward production through his company Filmtonic, while simultaneously deepening his cinematic education through extensive film study.
The transformative reunion with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in 2012 reignited Bhat’s acting career. Kashyap, recognizing Bhat’s untapped potential, cast him in ‘Ugly’ (which premiered at Cannes), followed by ‘Dobaara’ and ultimately the career-defining ‘Kennedy’. Bhat describes Kashyap’s directorial approach as uniquely magical: “He never explicitly instructs actors, yet guides them profoundly. For ‘Kennedy’, I mastered unconventional skills like peeling apples in one continuous motion and loading firearms blindfolded.”
Currently, Bhat maintains multiple upcoming projects including Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘The Wives’, Mayur Puri’s ‘Lost and Found in Kumbh’, and a Netflix series. Despite his darker roles, he embraces the emotional complexity: “An actor’s professional fluctuations are like ornaments—I derive meaning from them.” He remains deeply connected to his Kashmiri heritage, currently developing a personal film project drawn from his experiences, explaining: “In silence, my mind finds solace in memories of home, my Kashmir.”