Sunny Kaushal: Tag 'Vicky Kaushal's brother' will pass with time

MUMBAI: He is Vicky Kaushal's brother to the whole world as of now, but budding actor Sunny Kaushal, with several projects lined up, hopes that tag will go away once people see his acting skills. Sunny will be seen in the upcoming film "Bhangra Paa Le" and the web series "The Forgotten Army: Azaadi Ke Liye", both scheduled to release in January.

"That is my standard introduction, as they (media) say, 'this is Sunny Kaushal, brother of Bollywood heartthrob Vicky Kaushal!' What they say is factually correct but I am saying that with time the tag shall pass and I shall make my own space here. It is a little irritating when people repeatedly say so, but I understand where they are coming from. I keep getting asked if Vicky is giving me tips to choose the right scripts. The answer is 'no'. We are brothers and we have so many other things to talk about, really," Sunny told IANS.

He added: "It is important to respect every actor's journey instead of comparing them. That's the reason why, when media asks me those questions, I wonder why. But I know the tag will go away when it has to."

Starting his career with the infamous character Spandan Chukya in the web series "Official Chukyagiri" followed by a role in the Bollywood film "Gold", the actor is gearing up for his first starring role in a Hindi feature film in the film, "Bhangra Paa Lee". He is also shooting for two other films, "Hurdang" and "Shiddat".

Set in Punjab, the film revolves around a dance competition and also travels back to the 1940s. In this film, Sunny will play a double role for the first time.

Being a Punjabi, was it easier for him to understand the emotions and sentiments that the dance form bhangra holds? "I am a Punjabi and therefore there are certain nuances I can pick up really well -- quite effortlessly, in fact. Having said that, I am doing a double role in a film where I am the protagonist, learning dance and carrying the film on my shoulder. It's quite a task. I think I have earned it."

The film also features Shriya Pilgaonkar and Rukshar Dhillon. The cast trained for four months before the star, of shooting.

So, what are the new things he learnt during the training? "I learnt about the sub-genres of bhangra that earlier I had no idea of. For instance, 'dhamal' is the popular form of bhangra that we see, it is a celebratory form. There is another style called 'jhumar', where the beats are slower and the movements are poetic. We have used this form more, to narrate the love story between the two (protagonists)," he replied.

Directed by Sneha Taurani, "Bhangra Paa Le" is scheduled to open on January 3.