Alexx O’Neill after his ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ stint: No such thing as a ‘Britisher sort of role’

New Delhi: American-born actor and musician Alexx O’Nell, who recently featured in the Sara Ali Khan-starrer ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ has opened up on playing Britisher sort of roles, saying he is not afraid of being stereotyped or type-cast.

The movie pays homage to freedom fighter Usha Mehta, who is known for using an underground radio during the 1942 Quit India Movement against the British Raj.

It stars Sachin Khedekar, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Anand Tiwari in pivotal roles. Emraan Hashmi makes a special guest appearance.

Alexx, who plays the role of John Lyre, talked about the fear of getting stereotyped playing Britisher sort of roles.

Known for his work in ‘Joker’, ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3’, Alexx told IANS: “Hollywood will never stop making films set in World War II, Vietnam, the civil rights movement, and so on. Similarly, I don’t expect India will ever stop making films that take place in the British colonial period. These were tumultuous and generation-defining, and indeed, nation-defining, eras.”

“And, as ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ has reminded us, there are so many stories yet to be told from the period when the British controlled India. I sincerely believe that there is no such thing as a ‘Britisher sort of role’ – just as there is no ‘Indian sort of role’. While some of my films and series took place between the 1860s and late 1940s- they have all been very very different roles, sometimes positive, sometimes negative,” shared Alexx, who featured in ‘Raagdesh’.

Alexx is incredibly grateful for the opportunities that keep knocking on his door.

“Because of them, I’m not really afraid of being stereotyped or type-cast. I have simply too many options. If a role isn’t right for me, I welcome the opportunity to turn instead to my music,” he said.

Talking about ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, Alexx added: “It is not a documentary, and I sincerely believe that writers Kannan Iyer and Darab Farooqui did their very best to be historically accurate, while at the same time showing the human side to this larger than life personality – which is a very difficult tightrope to walk.”

Directed by Kannan Iyer, ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ is a Dharmatic Entertainment Production, produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishr.

It is streaming on Prime Video.

–IANS