PS: Also has a third role in the English version
If the name Alexx O'Nell rings no bells, it's probably because his only claim to fame used to be being Shweta Keswani's firang husband. Who's she? Well, don't blame you for not knowing that she's a TV actress who used to work in primetime soaps.
Getting back to O'Nell, the reason we're even bringing him up in conversation, is because he plays a double role in Santosh Sivan's multilingual, Urumi.
The period film is noteworthy for bringing together the likes of Tabu, Vidya Balan (it's her first South film), Prabhudeva, Arya and Prithviraj all veritable and proven talents together in one film. Alexx plays the object of their hatred, Vasco da Gama. He began shooting in September 2010.
Set in colonial times, the flick showcases an attempt by locals to assassinate the legendary explorer. An apparently impressed Sivan even gave the firang actor a triple role in a shorter, abridged version in English that will make it to the festivals. It will have a different storyline.
So why is Da Gama so hated? The actor reveals, "After reading a great deal about Vasco, I was shocked to learn how terribly ruthless he was and equally appalled at the fame and glory that's attached to the name.
My characters in Urumi are Vasco and his son Estavio Da Gama, a man who'd eventually become India's viceroy."
Interestingly, this isn't O'Nell's first foray into South films. He played a significant role in another period flick, a Tamil hit called Madrasapattinam.
Any language troubles this time around? He says, "Though Urumi is mostly in Malayalam and Tamil, I speak Portuguese so no, I didn't have to struggle with Malayalam. However, Portuguese isn't easy either!"
Ask him if he has big expectations from the film and he says that with several of his films releasing this year, including Chittagong, Urumi, Vasco Da Gama (the English version of Urumi) and Shirish Kunder's Joker, he has no expectations about what they will or will not do for him.
"I just want to make great films!" he quips.
Urumi (in Malayalam and Tamil) releases March 31 nationwide.
