Yahoo Movies Sex Education's Chaneil Kular talks about debut movie role in Accused
Sex Education star Chaneil Kular is about to take on a very different role in his first feature film, Accused.
Now streaming on Netflix in the UK and Ireland, Accused sees Kular play Harri, who is heading to his parents' house in the country to dog-sit for the weekend. After a terrorist bombing at the train station he left from, a chain of events leads to Harri being wrongly identified as the perpetrator on social media.
The online abuse is distressing enough, but when vigilantes track down Harri's location seeking 'justice', things take a dark turn.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Kular said that it's always been important to have a wide variety of roles under his belt. "With marginalised actors, [the roles available] used to be relatively stereotypical – someone who's struggling with their British Asian identity and goes to India to find themselves, that kind of thing," he explains.
"That's not a bad story, but I've been fortunate to do more nuanced roles, ones you wouldn't expect to have been written for South Asians. It's nice for actors to have more to play with, the toy box is bigger."
Growing up in a South Asian household, acting wasn't an obvious career choice for Kular, but he always knew that he wanted to perform. What wasn't clear was how to get there.
"When I was 13 years old, I literally went on WikiHow and searched 'How to become an actor'. Maybe it was arrogance, maybe self-confidence, but I used to watch the Disney Channel and think, 'I could do that'," he recalls.
Despite no acting experience, Kular contacted agents and attracted attention. But as he was under 18, he needed parental permission before signing any contracts: "When agents said they wanted to represent me, my mum would say, 'He's finishing school and we live in Birmingham'."
In hindsight, Kular is glad his parents delayed his entry into the industry. "You hear about some child stars and they end up washed out, so maybe this worked out for the best," he reflects.
In fact, he still lives in Birmingham, not feeling the pull of the capital or LA just yet, a fact he says his bank balance is thanking him for.
Although cautious of his career, Kular says his family are incredibly supportive. "My grandma hears that I'm getting these jobs and wants to know where she can watch things like Sex Education. I think she'd have a heart attack seeing my bare ass on TV," he jokes.
After it was announced that Kular wouldn't be joining the cast for one final season at Moordale Secondary School, Kular was worried – "you kind of have no safety net; you've got to do it on your own and make a name for yourself" – but he's excited to spread his wings and be a "free agent" after being tied into such a successful series.
Playing Anwar Bakshi in the show, Kular tackled important storylines – in one scene, Anwar and the school nurse discuss what it means to live undetected with HIV, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and STIs.
It's a theme he continues in Accused, which raises vital questions around social media, mob mentalities and self-fulfilling prophecies. "What Accused does nicely is highlight these things that as a society I like to think we know," he explains.
"The main thing I want people to take away is that sometimes these pile-ons are targeted at people that deserve it, but it's important to be aware of wholeheartedly believing if someone's been accused of something on social media. Make your own opinion and judgement about things rather than being swayed by what’s in your feed."
As for his own use of social media, Kular says he's more of an observer than an active user.
Accused also touches on racial stereotypes, but they're not the main driver of the plot, which is perhaps the movie's strength.
"Realistically, anyone could play this role," he says, although we’d argue that the talent needed to lead a movie acted almost entirely alone is unique. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime role which feels very zeitgeist, it doesn’t feel outdated or forced."
While Kular says he'd always want to be part of a movie with an important message, his main driver is a great story.
"I want to look back and have had a varied career, from sci-fi and horror to action," he concludes. "If that involves certain messages, that's fine by me. But the main thing for me as an actor is to continue this momentum and show people more of me and what I've got."
Accused is available to watch now on Netflix in the UK and Ireland.
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