Cambridge graduate Armaan Kirmani was on the way to becoming a barrister when a lucky break saw him land a role in the upcoming Bollywood film Patiala House, starring alongside the likes of Akshay Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia.
The London lad had initially tried for another part in the film and was grilled through six rounds of auditions before being offered the role of Akshay Kumar’s brother, Jaskaran Kahlon.
Nikhil Advani is directing the movie which explores family ties and sports mania in the British Asian community. In the film Akshay, playing Gattu, works in a Southall shop and harbours dreams of becoming a pace bowler for England.
An inter-generational clash ensues as Gattu’s father, played by Rishi Kapoor, is hell-bent on sticking close to all things Indian and ensuring that his family stay true to their traditional roots.
For the 24-year-old Armaan, the transition from the sombre halls of the University of Cambridge to the spotlight of Bollywood has been fantastic. He plays a substantial character in the film and readers can catch him in action throughout the film in a supporting role.
Unable to give out more details about the film, he said the experience was a dream come true and he learnt a lot on the sets of Patiala House. He went on to add: “All I want to do now is act, act and act. I don’t just want to limit myself to movies in India and have my eyes set on UK cinema as well as the American film industry.”
The sky is really the limit for the aspiring actor who landed the role in a matter of months after finishing acting school. Fluent in Hindi, Urdu and English, Armaan is making the most of his language skills while trying to break it into the glamorous world of cinema and theatre.
“I have been brought up on a heavy diet of Yash Raj films and Shah Rukh is one of my favourites. I loved ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’,” he said.
His words of advice to aspiring actors include learning about the craft and developing a business sense. It’s important, he says, to hone in your talent rather that aim for success from the start.
“Luck is a big factor but hard work does pay off,” Armaan added saying that he had been “extremely fortunate”.
Armaan’s creativity does not however stop at acting, he has already written a short film and directed his debut theatre production, Project Runway, about a young Asian girl’s journey into the fashion industry in Manhattan.
Asked if he would ever go back to law, the young actor quipped: “You never know, I might end up playing the role of a barrister someday!”

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