Rahul Khanna finds himself globe trotting for work once again. Last seen in the Hindi film Fireflies , Rahul will be next seen on FX’s The Americans , a television series about the lives of two Soviet agents deep undercover in the sprawling landscapes of the United States of America. Khanna essays the role of Yousaf, a charming and suave Pakistani intelligence agent who is caught amidst the counter currents of the Cold War.
Excerpts from the interview
Tell us about your role in “The Americans”
Basically, my character was introduced at the end of the second season of the show. Russia was at war with Afghanistan and the U.S. was funnelling arms to the anti-Russian forces through the ISI in Pakistan. I play a Pakistani intelligence officer. He’s a bit of a playboy, he’s studied at Oxford and is an ex-cricketer. So, he visits Washington often for meetings with the CIA. The KGB sets a honey trap for him, an attractive Washington socialite and they engineer to have him promoted within the ISI so that they can have access to him and use him to their own purpose. So, that was in the second season, right at the end I came in for one episode. Now for the third season which starts next, my character comes back in a twist of the tale and I guess we see how the KGB agents exploit.
A while ago there was a photograph doing the rounds on Twitter which was indicative of a clause that you had signed for the show, saying that there may be certain scenes in the show which involve nudity. What had transpired?
Oh...the infamous Twitter photograph. No, it was very funny because when they initially approached me for the show they were very upfront with me and told me there was a love scene which required a certain amount of nudity, but I read the script and it seemed quite manageable. I have done love scenes in the past so it seemed quite manageable that I sign on for the project. Then they sent me an updated script which was much more risque than the original script and they also sent me this official document that said I would agree to do whatever it took for the scene. That freaked me out for a bit and I had a moment of wild panic, as to what they were going to make me do. After a bunch of frantic calls, the producers who were really great and helpful, made me realize that it was a legal document that I had to sign and ultimately it was much ado over nothing. They didn’t make me do anything I wasn’t uncomfortable with.
You're playing an agent with the ISI. There are actors who are doing roles that are quite similar. Do you think there is a certain perception about actors in this part of the world which limits the roles Indian actors get?
I don’t really see it as a stereotype. If the job requirement says there is a South Asian agent they are not going to cast a Caucasian for the role. I think there are more roles for people like me, of South Asian descent and I think that is fantastic. There are more and more opportunities for us. I mean a perfect example is the Americans. It is a show about the KGB and the CIA but they have written a character of a Pakistani agent. Homeland is a very American but this season was based mostly in Pakistan. The world is becoming smaller, stories are opening up and everything is relevant.
You’ve been a man of many talents. You've been a VJ, model and an actor. What do you enjoy the most?
I’ve enjoyed it all. I have done television, theatre and films and I really enjoyed it all. If I would have to pick my favourite medium, I think it would be film but nowadays that sort of encompasses television because I feel it is the Golden Age of television, I believe the quality of television that is being produced is on par of that with film in terms of content and quality. I think films and television are the things that I enjoy the most and I hope I get to do it more.
And what would you think lies in the future?
I think no one would want to know what I am doing next more than myself at the moment. The third season of the Americans is the only thing on my mind at the moment and I hope the audiences like it.
Season 3 of “The Americans” began airing on Star World Premiere in India on January 29. Also, Season 1 of “The Americans” airs on FX India, Monday - Friday.
