Rapper king says acting in 'Lukkhe' gave him his spark back

Indian rapper King, who made his series debut with Prime Videos Lukkhe, says acting came as a welcome break from music and gave him his spark back. The 30-year-old rapper said he does not even have photos from his younger days at his home as there were no cameras, but he grew accustomed to them easily when he found fame.

Indian rapper King, who made his series debut with Prime Video's ''Lukkhe'', says acting came as a welcome break from music and gave him his spark back. ''Lukkhe'' is a fictional musical drama set in Punjab where a sportsman, Lucky and Sanober, a musician, find their romance caught in the crossfires between police officer Gurbani and upcoming rapper, MC Badnaam. King stars as MC Badnaam in the eight-episode drama, directed by Himank Gaur and produced by Vipul D Shah and Rajesh Bahl. ''It's (acting) a very good learning experience for a person like me. When all this was over, I realised that it was a very interesting thing as I learned a lot as a human. I think people gave me a free course for my development in a way... I'm able to breathe where there's good art and humanity,'' King told PTI in an interview. After spending years immersed in music, the rapper, known for hits such as ''Maan Meri Jaan'', ''Tu Aake Dekh Le'' and ''Legends'', said he was looking for something new when the series was offered to him. ''I said yes because I was doing the same thing for a long time in my life. I was getting bored. This thing (acting) gave me a spark. In fact, if you act, you get a chance to do things that you've never done in your life,'' he added. Despite stepping out of his comfort zone, King says he did not overthink the process and just enjoyed the ride. ''If you start thinking too much, you lose the fun... There were 10 people who trusted me before I could trust them. So, there was nothing to worry about. You just had to get up and perform. That's it,'' he said. The 30-year-old rapper said he does not even have photos from his younger days at his home as there were no cameras, but he grew accustomed to them easily when he found fame. ''Cameras are the same. It's like I'm standing as an actor (here). On other days, I'm standing (in front of it) as a rock star. Initially, when I was introduced (to cameras), I was very scared and then one day, I don't know, I woke up and my fear was gone. (Generally), I'm very scared of things. I'm shy and I like to stay back. So, I'm just enjoying everything that is coming to me in my life as an opportunity.'' The scenario for children growing up today is completely different though, he said. ''They know that this is cinema, not reality. At a very young age, the kids know a lot of things. They all are connected with the internet,'' he said. Born Arpan Kumar Chandel and known professionally as King or King Rocco, the Indian singer-songwriter, rapper, and music producer rose to fame as a finalist on the music reality show MTV Hustle. King, whose other hits are ''Ghumshudaa'', ''Oops'' and ''Pablo'', has a massive following among youngsters but he does not feel pressured to be a role model as he believes his work speaks for itself. ''(I'm lucky) I had art in my life, good art. Whoever is watching or listening to me in the long run, I want them to know that I have worked hard and that hard work can really open doors for you. They should learn this and I don't think I have any more responsibility than that. I am just an artist having fun here. We are all growing up together,'' he added. King's idols are superstar Shah Rukh Khan and rapper Badshah as he believes they worked really hard to achieve success. ''Lukkhe'' is created and executive produced by Agrim Joshi and Debojit Das Purkayastha. The series also features Raashi Khanna, Palak Tiwari, Lakshvir Singh Saran, Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Kritika Bharadwaj, Shivankit Parihar, Yograj Singh, and Ayesha Raza Mishra in pivotal roles.