Purab Kohli's characteristic naughty grin pretty much sums up what he is — fun. When asked to define his sense of humour, however, he says: “I don't have one! I like to laugh and make others laugh.”
We meet him at the press conference of his new show, “Life mein ek baar” that is presently being aired on Fox Traveller. His long locks held back with a hair band, Purab looks like a rock star.
Ask him if he is one and he says, quite bizarrely that he won a singing competition when he was in the third standard. He's in no mood to be serious. “I hardly ever am!” he quips.
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As expected, he continues to joke. “I was actually awarded a certificate when I won that competition. And my parents were so proud of me.” He continued singing, not for any special event but… “in the bathroom!” he laughs.
“For ‘Rock On', I learnt to play the drums. And I've been playing it ever since.” No, that's not a joke, he's being serious. You can watch out for a much improved drummer Purab in “Rock On 2”.
Chance seems to have played an important role in Purab's career. His entry into films, initially, wasn't a conscious decision. “It just happened. I got a role in the serial ‘Hip Hip Hurray' and I got offers in films right after.” But he doesn't talk about those offers with much enthusiasm. “I went with the flow without any ambition. Then I began hating some of the shows I was hosting; I realised I had lost power over the choices I made. This was around 2005-2006. I then made a conscious decision never to do shows or roles that make me unhappy.”
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This decision bode well for Purab as he body of work included “My brother Nikhil” and “Awarapan”, besides “Rock on”.
However, he still isn't satisfied. “I crave to act in a commercial film which has some sensibility. I guess people don't have the courage to make such films. We like to play it safe.”
Talking about playing it safe, Purab knows only too well how to take risks as his show “Life Mein Ek Baar” reveals. In it, Purab and three of his friends: Jupiter Huidron, Arun Kolagada and Bhaskara Seth travel all over India and Nepal, Thailand and Dubai to indulge in some daring acts. The experience changed Purab and made him a bigger risk taker. “I went bungee jumping in Nepal from a height of 165 metres. I was the last to jump. When I did, I felt for the first time what all those spiritual gurus tell us about living in the moment. I felt the wind on my face and could only see a vast blue expanse below.”
Purab has overcome his worst fear. “I cannot bear closed spaces. For ‘Life mein…” we went caving in Cherrapunji. I went for it. I overcame my fear of claustrophobia.” Purab now looks forward to his next film “Jal” that will be directed by Girish Malik. “Life mein ek baar” will be aired every Sunday at 10 pm on Fox Traveller.