Kay Kay Menon On Playing An Idealistic Cop In Bambai Meri Jaan: I Play Characters, Not Heroes

Following several tumultuous hurdles along the way, the team of the upcoming show Bambai Meri Jaan is finally set to release, this September. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai in the 60s and 70s, the trailer of the show was finally revealed to the media in Mumbai, amid a private event. The Free Press Journal was also present at the do.

Representing the team of the series, actors Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Kritika Kamra, Amyra Dastur and Saurabh Sachdeva were seen in attendance. Joining them were the creators and showrunners of the show featuring Rensil D'Silva and Shujaat Saudagar, producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Kassim Jagmagia and OTT heads Aparna Purohit and Sushant Shetty.

The show traces the trials of a family where an idealist patriarch and his power-hungry son hold opposing views about power and influence. How the contrast in their ideologies can cost an entire city is what the show hopes to explore.

The event began with a mellifluous jazz rendition of the show's theme song by Shibani Dandekar Akhtar which immediately set the stage for the trailer to follow.

Speaking about what the show entails and sharing details about his character as a good-to-a-fault cop, Menon, who plays Ismail Kadri says, "I play characters and not heroes. So, whether I'm playing a cop in Bambai Meri Jaan or a criminal on the loose in Farzi, my job is to play characters and emote emotions of people."

He further adds, "Usually actors play cops with a certain amount of heroism. My character is nothing like that. Nothing in this show is as what it appears to be."

Tiwary, who plays Dara, Kadri's son, shares about the complexities of his character. He says, "When Shujaat sir offered me the script, I knew then that this was something I have never done before. I love how Dara is somebody one cannot easily judge. He comes from a place of hunger and eventually climbs up the ladder to power. So, it was very fascinating to play him and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Bhattacharya, who plays Sakeena speaks about striking the moral balance between her husband and son on the show. She shares, "Sakeena is the glue that binds the family together despite the differing views that surround her."

Saudagar, who nursed the dream of making the show over five years, exclaims, "I cannot be more joyous than I am now. We've survived the challenges imposed by a cyclone and a pandemic to finally bring this show through. And truly, we couldn't be more thrilled."

Set to release on Amazon Prime Video from September 14, 2023 onwards, Bambai Meri Jaan promises to be as spectacular as its trailer suggests.