It is not possible to put Khushaal Pawaar in a box. He started his journey in the entertainment industry as a casting professional. As an actor, he worked in films like ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ (2015), ‘Judwaa 2’ (2017), ‘Baaghi 2’ (2018) and shows like ‘Constable Girpade’ (2023).
As social media became bigger, he found the right platform to showcase his talent as an all-round entertainer. Khushaal’s Instagram page, which has more than a million followers, is frequented by those who find his content relatable and amusing in equal measure.
In this interview, Khushaal talks about his journey in the entertainment industry, doing multiple things as an artist, the process of creating the characters he plays, working with Mukesh Chhabra, recent releases and more.
You are an actor, creator, writer, director, singer, composer and a casting professional. When it comes to work, do you have any preference? Is there anything you enjoy doing a little more than others?
I genuinely enjoy every part of the process, but post-production is my favourite. That’s where the film really comes alive. Playing with the edit, shaping scenes through music and effects, and slowly seeing everything come together excites me the most. Watching the final output take its true form is always a special moment.
Have you ever found it difficult to juggle between multiple things?
No, I don’t find it difficult to juggle between multiple things. I actually enjoy it. Switching from editing to music and back gives me a fresh break and helps me think more clearly. It keeps my mind active and makes the process even more enjoyable.
You have said that you like each of the characters you create to have a backstory and a well-defined journey. What are some of the other things you keep in mind while creating a character or writing the script for a piece of content?
Building a character is difficult. I usually start by creating a backstory in my mind. Then I add small details like props, costumes, a different walk, or a unique slang to make the character interesting. I always try to make sure I don’t repeat the same traits in my other characters.
You assisted Mukesh Chhabra for a long time. How was that experience like?
The experience was challenging because finding the right characters was sometimes very difficult. On some projects, the audition process itself took six months to a year. Recording auditions and getting cues from other actors was actually interesting.
Auditioning was fun, but preparing presentations and organizing folders, to be honest, was boring for me. What I truly enjoyed was acting and discovering new faces. Watching different actors perform the same scene in completely different ways was fascinating. It made me realize how many possibilities a single scene can have, and experiencing that was really exciting.
A while back, you released your short film ‘Khushiyan Swati Ki Koshish Raju Ki’. Did you face any challenges while putting this short film together?
There were a lot of challenges. Finding locations, creating the music for the film, making sure everyone on the team was on the same page, travelling together, and managing late-night shoots. I also learned a bit about production during this project. For example, our rented camera had a dead pixel. I could not fix it, so I decided to move on and keep shooting instead of stopping the process.
It also took a lot of time to explain my vision to the DOP. We had many discussions before finally reaching one clear conclusion. This short film taught me patience. It helped me understand that things take time and will eventually fall into place.
The shoot happened over a span of four months. It took longer because festivals were happening during that period, and I wanted quiet locations, so we mostly shot at night.
What is the next step for you as an artist?
I am currently working on a few scripts that I plan to make. I am really happy with how ‘Khushiyan Swati Ki Koshish Raju Ki’has made me even more excited to create more short films in the coming future.