The 58-year-old actor is one of the most educated in B-town.
Speaking about his approach to acting, Kay Kay Menon once said in an interview, "I play people, I don't play roles." Well, while this may sound simple, it's actually a great skill that requires immense dedication to master. In each of his performances, you will always see real people - not some archetypes. He immerses himself completely into the headspace of his characters, bringing out pure magic on the screen. And that's why he can play the same role (but two different persons) differently in two films/series - for example, a cop: Rakesh Maria in 'Black Friday' and Ismail Kadri in 'Bambai Meri Jaan'. More than his talent (which, of course, is abundant in him), this showcases his deep understanding of life.
Kay Kay Menon in a still from Neeraj Pandey’s show. ‘Special OPS’
Born on October 2, 1966, Menon has been in the industry for almost three decades now. And it's safe to say that he has never failed to mesmerize us with his unconventional roles and unparalleled performances. Whether it's out-of-the-boox films like 'Paanch', 'HazaaronKhwaisheinAisi', 'Black Friday', and 'Haider', or mainstream productions such as 'Sarkar', 'Life in a... Metro', 'Baby', and 'ABCD: Any Body Can Dance' - he is phenomenal in literally everything that he appears in. Recently, with his works in web shows like 'Special Ops', 'Farzi', and 'The Railway Men' among others, he has achieved only greater heights in his career.
Credit: kaykaymenon02
The legendary actor celebrates his 58th birthday today. On this occasion, we share an interesting fact about him that you didn't know.
Yes, you read it absolutely right! While we tend to assume that creative people may not be that much into formal education, this certainly doesn't apply to Menon.
In fact, Menon never took his education lightly. He studied at the St. Joseph High School in Khadki, Pune, and passed his board examination with good marks. Later, he completed his Bachelors (Physics) from Mumbai University.
After graduation, he received his MBA from the Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA) at the University of Pune, with a major in marketing. He graduated from there in 1988.
Menon started working in the advertising industry, making advertisements for several leading brands. However, realizing that he wasn't meant for this, he shifted his focus to theatre and soon started acting professionally.
After some time, he got his first break in theatre with Feroz Abbas Khan’s 'Mahatma Vs Gandhi', where Naseeruddin Shah played Gandhi, and he, Hiralal. The production earned him enormous acclaim, paving the way for several other plays. Meanwhile, he also worked in several television shows.
Credit: kaykaymenon.fan
Speaking about his journey before Bollywood, Menon shared in an interview with Times, "I started working in advertising. That was my lowest period, as one month into it, I felt doomed as I didn’t think it was my place and did not know what to apply for next. I closed shop and plunged into theatre."
During his early days in the industry, Menon appeared in several television films and shows, such as 'Last Train To Mahakali', 'Pradhan Mantri', etc. Speaking about his performance in the latter, critic Amita Malik commented, "Excellent acting by Menon, who skillfully conveys the physical as well as mental image of the honest politician."
The actor made his big screen debut in 1995 with a small role in 'Naseem'. It was followed in 1999 with the lead role in 'Bhopal Express'. In 2003, he starred in Anurag Kashyap's debut film, 'Paanch', which struggled with censorship. On the other hand, his mainstream outings like 'Deewar' and 'Silsiilay' failed miserably at the box office.
However, with the release of 'HazaaronKhwaisheinAisi' in 2005, he finally received his due recognition. And with Ram Gopal Varma's 'Sarkar', he had his breakthrough, receiving the Best Performance in a Negative Role award at Filmfare. Well, that marked the beginning of an illustrious career!
Happy Birthday, Kay Kay Menon. Thanks For Inspiring Us!
