Keith Sequeira: The poster boy of Calendar Girls

After been seen in various television shows and ads, Keith Sequeira will next be seen in his second Bollywood film, ‘Calendar Girls’. Born and brought up in Delhi, Keith is very much in love with Goa. He has his roots in Aldona, the village his father was born and brought up in before leaving for Mumbai and then Delhi. “Goa is beautiful and has its own identity. Even though Mumbai has its beaches, the sunsets in Goa are more beautiful. No matter where you live, Goa is easy to access for some rest and relaxation. As we have a family home in Aldona, I visit Goa very often but I prefer living on the beach side in Anjuna or Calangute,” said Keith. 

Speaking about his first film, ‘Sixteen’, Keith felt that it was a good film by Raj Purohit that helped him showcase his acting skills. He elaborated, “The film worked for two weeks even though it was released in the same week as ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. When there is a big release lined up, it is very difficult to get time slots and we were given timings like 9am and 10am shows. With a film for youngsters, hardly anyone would want to watch a film in the morning.”  

However, his performance didn't go unnoticed as Madhur Bhandarkar picked him for a role of a sports manager in ‘Calendar Girls’, a film that will introduce five new talents: Akansha Puri, Avani Modi, Kyra Dutt, Ruhi Singh and Satarupa Pyne. “Madhur Bhandarkar is a brand name in himself and it is a privilege to work with him. The film shows the underbelly of the world of glamour. The producer of ‘Sixteen’ had shown Madhur the film and he liked my voice and look for the film. He was surprised that with a surname like Sequeira, my Hindi was excellent. The character has many layers and shades to it,” the actor stated.

Prior to acting in films, Keith enjoyed theatre and calls it his first love. “I used to act in school plays and then at the national level in college. I believe you do something because you enjoy and love to do it. The same goes with acting.” 

He started his career as a VJ with B4U Music nearly ten years back. “I love varied genres of music right from rock, ballet and R&B. You have to have a lot of passion,” he said about his stint in that field.

Since then, Keith has anchored several lifestyle shows on TV, including AXN’s ‘Men 2.0’, ‘Thailand t-off’, VH1’s ‘Club Class’, live coverage of ‘Super Fight League’ on Star Sports and telefilm ‘Teri Meri Love Stories’ on Star Plus. He also played a cameo on Star Plus’ popular show ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’. 

When asked whether it is difficult finding work in Bollywood with a surname like ‘Sequeira’, Keith replied, “I predominantly speak in English at home so many people assume that I cannot speak Hindi. But since I was brought up in Delhi, I can speak the language fluently. The surname can pull you back a little, but finally, it’s the work that matters. Once people notice you, they will approach. After all, how often does one get a role in a film by Madhur Bhandarkar?” 

Though he is now back in Mumbai, Keith already has plans of coming back to Goa with his friends later in the year.