“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pilot. But there was a change of plans. I gave up flying and started acting in 2005,” says the video jockey (VJ)-turned-actor. Purab Kohli started his career with the television show Hip Hip Hurray, becoming even more popular as a VJ on Channel V. His debuted in the movie Bus Yuhin with Nandita Das.
Since then, Purab has come a long way. For him there are three criteria for choosing movies. “The script, my part in the movie and the people making it. Apart from this I don’t mind any kind of role.”
Explaining about his upcoming movie Jal, slated for release in March 2012, Purab says, “It is a tale about the crisis posed by the drying up of the river Narmada. The concept revolves around human beings versus birds during the absence of water.”
The film is directed by actor-turned-director Girish Malik, and the cast includes Tannishtha Chatterjee, Mukul Dev, Yashpal Sharma, Kirti Kulhari, Saidah Jules, Rohit Pathak. The music of the film is composed by the singer Sonu Nigam and tabla player Bickram Ghosh.
Despite his big screen opportunities, the actor isn’t leaving the small screen behind, his home turf.
He is back with an exciting travel and adventure show on FOX History & Traveller, Life mein ek baar which will showcase his escapades over 60 days including bungee jumping, river rafting, enjoying a road trip, apart from exploring exotic places like Kerala, Kathmandu, Leh, with three other companions. Starting this Sunday, the show will telecast at 10 pm.
Talking about his experience on the show, Purab says, “Four boys, 60 days, so much adventure and activity, I was pysched. It was great. I am sure everybody has a bucket list and once in a while, they should go on such trips and let go of themselves.”
The best moment throughout? “A 550 feet Bungee jump in Nepal was a landmark experience. At the first jump, I was really scared. But, I left all my fear behind, and after the first jump, I felt like I was flying.”
The three companions on the show - Bhaskara, a film student, Jupiter, a marketing professional and Arun, a software engineer - were chosen from a list of applications for the show.
“It was really good fun. We were constantly bonding. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience,” he added.
