Second leap

His career in Bollywood began over a decade ago with Kaizad Gustad’s irreverent flick Bombay Boys,but Kenny has always been on the fringes of the film world,content hosting a popular rock show for a niche audience,Luke’s After Hours on Channel V.

Now,however,he’s starting a second innings of sorts; Kenny is turning his reel life role in Rock On!! into reality. He’s quit his job at V,formed his own band and plans to tour India holding music shows. “While shooting Rock On!! I decided it was time to let the dormant musician in me take over my life,” he smiles. Kenny was lead vocalist last year at a Jim Morrison tribute concert in Mumbai.

The band,called Luke Kenny,doesn’t have set musicians. “My band is like Jon Bon Jovi’s,that’s also named after the singer but the ensemble consists of rolling musicians who are friends. So whenever I have a gig,different people come on board,” says Kenny,who is lead vocalist and guitarist of his band. “But I can’t do both together. I’m practising the guitar and brushing up my skills to sing and play together,” he says.

Although his music act is never genre specific,he likes to twist every sound—from jazz to rock and roll into his own version. “I have played a lot of covers but I revamp them completely. So a track like Drive my car by The Beatles is not going to sound like they made it,” adds Kenny,who has penned nine original tracks and is getting ready to play them at his show,at the Mumbai club Blue Frog by April end.

But it is not just songs that motivate this VJ-actor-musician. Kenny has been writing a variety of scripts under his company,Kenny Films Pvt Ltd. “We have a bank of scripts ready and we are looking at various production houses to take them on,” informs Kenny,who wrote,directed and produced his first feature film,13th Floor in 2005. But for now Kenny is happy concentrating on his music. “Rock On!! gave me a great start and a larger audience. Finally,I’ll be doing what I really want,” says Kenny. Now for the chartbuster.