His face stares down from billboards across the city for Star's new show, Kayamath. Though he may be relatively unknown, Jay Bhanushali has done a bit of modelling before the arc lights beckoned. Jai is Balaji's latest discovery, and plays the lead character, Neev Shergill, in Kayamath.
"This is my first brush with acting," says Jay, who is currently seen in the Lays wafer ads with Saif Ali Khan. He received a call from Balaji out of the blue.
"They noticed me in a Rediff ad that I'd done, and one of the creative heads got in touch with me. I did a series of screen tests with them and landed a plum role in Kayamath."
Smiles to go
He adds that it was his smile that did the trick. "At least that's what I was told! Apparently, Ekta Kapoor loved my smile, so that was what clinched the deal. That apart, I worked hard for the look tests.''
A resident of Ghatkopar, Jay is a Mumbai boy. "I studied at the BPM School in Khar, as I formerly lived in Juhu. I later completed my graduation through correspondence," he claims.
His family is not connected to the entertainment world in any way. "I am the only one who always had this — as they say — filmi keeda, in me. I did not want to do a nine-to-five job. I began modelling and then Kayamath came my way. So it was a case of one thing leading to another."
About his role in the late- night drama, he says, "My character Neev is a Casanova. What is characteristic of him is his sense of humour.
There are some wonderful cracks that I make in the show. Neev believes in living life king-size and takes each day as it comes."
Fame fever
Though it is barely a few days since the show began, Jay has already been getting a taste of celebrity. "I was at the petrol pump when one of the attendants told me to reverse my car with care as there was another vehicle at the rear. He laughed and told me, "Nahin to kayamath aa jayengi!"
At the moment, shooting for this late-night drama leaves him barely time for anything else. "At the moment, there is no energy left to pursue anything."
Jay is single. So is he ready to mingle? "Where is the time?" he laughs.
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