One-on-one with Rup Magon

BeyondBorders

Known as one half of acclaimed music group Josh, Rup Magon talks to Instep about his role in the upcoming Hollywood production, The Black Prince and transitioning into the glorious world of cinema.

Lahore:Rup Magon of the internationally acclaimed band Josh will soon be seen in a Hollywood production with a storyline that hits rather close to home. Titled The Black Prince, the film is about Maharaja Duleep Singh - the last king of Punjab. Son of one of the most notorious rulers of the land, he was the last tenant of the Lahore Qila which made him the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in the 1800s. Magon shared that he was also the reason why the Indians called their infamous company the East India Company - they couldn’t conquer the West of Punjab because of him.

The cast includes Shabana Azmi, Jason Fleming, Amanda Root, Sufi singer Satinder Sartaj and Magon who plays the second lead role of Arur Singh. Magon is known for his band and music which he’s been fully immersed in for over a decade. When asked about his transition from music to film he replied, “I’ve always loved acting.  After being a part of 22 music videos, I’ve had a lot of experience in front of the camera but I didn’t just see this film as an opportunity to do something besides singing. I genuinely love acting so I took classes for screenplay writing and acting so I understand the inner workings. For me, acting isn’t as easy as getting on a stage and singing, I’ve had to work at it.”

In his short time as an actor, Magon has shared the screen with actors such as Akshay Kumar and Russel Peters in Speedy Singhs (Breakaway) and Ali Kazmi in Deepa Mehta’s Beeba Boys. In 2015, Rup also played the lead role in the French short-film, Bonjour Ji.

The Black Prince, his most recent effort, has a noteworthy backing, having been put together by Beverley Hills located production house, Brill Steins Entertainment, which has Academy Award-winning film, 12 Years a Slave, to its credit. He shared that he got the role by reaching out to the director Kavi Riaz who called him to LA for informal discussions and then he went on to England for auditions like everyone else. “I’m Canadian but the audition was done with a British accent and I somehow managed to bag it,” he chuckled.

He’s especially excited because the film will see a Pakistani release as per the local censor board. “I’ve been pushing for a Pakistani release for the past six months and I’ve always said this market would be amazing for the film because it’s actually set in Pakistan.”

While he’s busy promoting TBP, Magon also has a Pakistani/Canadian rom-com coming up which he’s co-written with a Pakistani scriptwriter. “It’s a story about a Lahori girl from a middle class family who wants to become a chef. I feel it’ll be interesting because my perspective on Pakistan is very different from a regular Pakistani’s, like a Pakistani  would be of Canada. I see very interesting dichotomies and contradictions from friends who don’t come to Pakistan because they think the times are troubled but here I am a Canadian Sikh who comes here every month. A different perspective always changes things like the way foreigners saw a story in the slums of India and Slumdog Millionaire came about.”

Currently casting for the film, he shares that the story is about a girl and he’s written himself as a second lead.

Magon is also an avid foodie who has written a cookbook titled Ten Easy Desi Recipes for Guys. “Cooking is not a gender specific activity, in fact I probably cook more than any of my female friends and I hate it when men think it’s something they don’t have to learn.”

The cookbook will release with The Black Prince. When asked about Josh he said, “My music is on like donkey Kong, with shows coming up in Canada, US and then India/Pakistan.”

It’s safe to say that Magon knows how to keep himself busy!

– The Black Prince is set for a worldwide release today.