Luke Kenny
Encyclopedia
Luke Kenny is an Indian ex-video jockey, critic, musician, director, producer and actor.
, his grandfather came to Delhi
where he met his wife, Luke's grandmother, who was British. Luke's father was subsequently born in Delhi.
The family then moved to Calcutta, where Luke's father met his wife, Luke's mother's parents were Italian. Luke's parents separated when he was young, and subsequently his grandparents and father moved to Bombay in the early 1970s. Luke's heritage is Irish
-Italian-British
by blood, yet Indian by birth and territory. Brought up by his grandparents and father, who were all musicians, his musical education began very young.
As a child, living in a suburb of Bombay called Thane
, he attended kindergarten and primary education at Bharat English High School. He later enrolled in St John The Baptist High School, where he finished his secondary education. After school, Kenny enrolled at Elphinstone College
.
but then he had to leave his college education in the midway due his earnestness of pursuing music and performing culture.
's dance team as a chorus dancer and associate choreographer from 1990 to 1992.
In 1991 he dropped out of college to play the role of Jesus Christ in a musical interpretation of The Passion of the Christ
. He was also a vocalist with a rock band called Greek.
From 1992 to 1994, he worked as a DJ. In 1995 he became India's first Indian male VJ on Channel V
.
In 1997, Kenny performed a small role in Kaizad Gustad
's movie, Bombay Boys
, playing the leader of a rock band.
In 1998, he became the head of music programming and artist relations for Channel V
, a post he held until 2008.
as the face of the show Luke's After Hours, which featured a selection of music videos specially chosen by him.
In later 2005, Kenny directed and produced his first feature film, 13th Floor, starring Purab Kohli
and Sandhya Mridul
. This was India's first digitally shot and released film. It was filmed over the course of six days. The film is 80 minutes in length and features two actors in an elevator. The film was released on 17 March 2006 by Kenny's own production company, Kenny Films Pvt Ltd. It played at Fame Cinemas and Fun Republic Theatres for a week.
13th Floor was also selected for the following festivals:
In 2006, Kenny directed 3 music videos:
Kenny played the character of Rob, a keyboardist, in the Hindi film Rock On!!, directed by Abhishek Kapoor
.
He writes a weekly music column in the Hindustan Times
supplement HT Cafe, which appears every Friday. It is called If I May Say So.
He recently signed on as contributing editor for Rolling Stone India, writing a column called LukeBox, and a live music column called Gig-A-Bites.
In July 2008, Luke put together a band to pay tribute to Jim Morrison
and the music of The Doors
. The concert was held at the Blue Frog in Mumbai
.
On 31 October 2008, Kenny appeared in the Rock On For Humanity Concert, a charity event fronted by Farhan Akhtar
, Ritesh Sidhwani
and Arjun Rampal
, benefiting the Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust. Kenny co-hosted the event with actress Sophie Choudry
.
in 2009, he bagan touring with his band, playing shows across the country, performing original songs and music. Ranging from colleges to pubs to festivals, he has been pursuing his original content with much passion. Luke's songs, some of which are, Tripwire
, Dark Knight
, New Moon
and Hard Lovin' Woman
have been quite popular with the audiences.
In mid 2010, he and his band of musicians have entered the studio to record his original material, which he hopes to release sometime soon.
Throughout the last quarter of 2010, he has been touring the country playing Nirvana
tribute concerts to much acclaim.
Early life
Born in Calcutta on 14 June, Kenny moved to Bombay when he was a small child. His great-grandparents were Irish. They moved to Burma, where his grandfather was born. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his grandfather came to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
where he met his wife, Luke's grandmother, who was British. Luke's father was subsequently born in Delhi.
The family then moved to Calcutta, where Luke's father met his wife, Luke's mother's parents were Italian. Luke's parents separated when he was young, and subsequently his grandparents and father moved to Bombay in the early 1970s. Luke's heritage is Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
-Italian-British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
by blood, yet Indian by birth and territory. Brought up by his grandparents and father, who were all musicians, his musical education began very young.
As a child, living in a suburb of Bombay called Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
, he attended kindergarten and primary education at Bharat English High School. He later enrolled in St John The Baptist High School, where he finished his secondary education. After school, Kenny enrolled at Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College is an institution of higher education affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges of the University of Mumbai. It was exalted as a prestigious seat of learning during the British Raj and is generally observed for its vibrant alumni...
.
but then he had to leave his college education in the midway due his earnestness of pursuing music and performing culture.
Early career
Kenny started his career as a solo dancer in 1989. Spotted at one college dance competition, he joined Arshad WarsiArshad Warsi
Arshad Warsi is an Indian actor who debuted in 1996 with the film Tere Mere Sapne which was a success but he is best known for his role as "Circuit" in the comedy films Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munnabhai and his role as Babban in Ishqiya which won him acclaim.-Early life and...
's dance team as a chorus dancer and associate choreographer from 1990 to 1992.
In 1991 he dropped out of college to play the role of Jesus Christ in a musical interpretation of The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
. He was also a vocalist with a rock band called Greek.
From 1992 to 1994, he worked as a DJ. In 1995 he became India's first Indian male VJ on Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
.
In 1997, Kenny performed a small role in Kaizad Gustad
Kaizad Gustad
Kaizad Gustad is an Indian film director and writer. He is best known for his 1998 comedy Bombay Boys and debut novel Of No Fixed Address....
's movie, Bombay Boys
Bombay Boys
Bombay Boys is an unorthodox comedy film written and directed by the Indian director Kaizad Gustad. It follows the adventures of three young men in modern-day Mumbai . The boys are of Indian origin, but were all raised in the West. Krishna Sahni is an aspiring actor from New York who wants to...
, playing the leader of a rock band.
In 1998, he became the head of music programming and artist relations for Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
, a post he held until 2008.
Later career
In early 2005 he returned to Channel VChannel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
as the face of the show Luke's After Hours, which featured a selection of music videos specially chosen by him.
In later 2005, Kenny directed and produced his first feature film, 13th Floor, starring Purab Kohli
Purab Kohli
Purab Kohli is an Indian model, VJ and actor.He started his career as an actor with the popular tv show Hip Hip Hurray and earned recognition through video jockeying on Channel V....
and Sandhya Mridul
Sandhya Mridul
Sandhya Mridul is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films and television, most known for her roles in films like, movies like Saathiya and Page 3 , and was first runners up in reality dance show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa .-Personal life and education:Mridul, also called 'Sandy', was born in...
. This was India's first digitally shot and released film. It was filmed over the course of six days. The film is 80 minutes in length and features two actors in an elevator. The film was released on 17 March 2006 by Kenny's own production company, Kenny Films Pvt Ltd. It played at Fame Cinemas and Fun Republic Theatres for a week.
13th Floor was also selected for the following festivals:
- Tromafling International Film Festival, Edinburgh 2005
- Temecula Valley International Film FestivalTemecula Valley International Film FestivalTemecula Valley International Film Festival is a film festival held in Temecula Valley, California.Begun September 1995 and held every September since, it is a celebration Film and Music. It drew 600 attendees in 1995 and more than 20,000 in 2008...
, California 2005 - Sports Movies TV India International Film Festival, 2006
- International Film Festival of IndiaInternational Film Festival of IndiaThe International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
, 2006 - Cape Town Bollywood Film Festival, South Africa 2007
- International Film Festival, Ahmedabad, Gujrat 2010
In 2006, Kenny directed 3 music videos:
- Dil (Artist: Sidharth, Producer: Nisha Kreation)
- Humein Jeene Do (Artist: Tauseef & Cheryl, Producer: Film Foundation of India)
- Kyon (paanch tatva) (Artist: Sidharth, Producer: Nisha Kreation)
Kenny played the character of Rob, a keyboardist, in the Hindi film Rock On!!, directed by Abhishek Kapoor
Abhishek Kapoor
Abhishek Kapoor is an Indian film actor, writer and director.He started his career as an actor in Uff!Yeh Mohabbat in 1996, opposite Twinkle Khanna, directed by Vipin Handa, and after two more films, he made his directorial début with Aryan in 2006, which despite getting him critical acclaim for...
.
He writes a weekly music column in the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
supplement HT Cafe, which appears every Friday. It is called If I May Say So.
He recently signed on as contributing editor for Rolling Stone India, writing a column called LukeBox, and a live music column called Gig-A-Bites.
In July 2008, Luke put together a band to pay tribute to Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
and the music of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. The concert was held at the Blue Frog in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
On 31 October 2008, Kenny appeared in the Rock On For Humanity Concert, a charity event fronted by Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
, Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani is a Bollywood film producer, who founded a film production house under the banner of Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd...
and Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal , born 26 November 1972, is an award-winning Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films, as well as a fashion model.- Film career :...
, benefiting the Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust. Kenny co-hosted the event with actress Sophie Choudry
Sophie Choudry
Sophie Choudry is an Indian film actress, singer, former MTV India VJ and occasional model and anchor.-Early life:...
.
in 2009, he bagan touring with his band, playing shows across the country, performing original songs and music. Ranging from colleges to pubs to festivals, he has been pursuing his original content with much passion. Luke's songs, some of which are, Tripwire
Tripwire
A tripwire is a passive triggering mechanism. Typically, a wire or cord is attached to some device for detecting or reacting to physical movement...
, Dark Knight
Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is a common nickname for the DC Comics superhero Batman and may refer to:* The Dark Knight , a 2008 film by Christopher Nolan** The Dark Knight ** The Dark Knight , a cancelled video game...
, New Moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
and Hard Lovin' Woman
Hard Lovin' Woman
"Hard Lovin' Woman" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Mark Collie. Released in August 1994, it was the third and final single from the album Unleashed. The song reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 9 in...
have been quite popular with the audiences.
In mid 2010, he and his band of musicians have entered the studio to record his original material, which he hopes to release sometime soon.
Throughout the last quarter of 2010, he has been touring the country playing Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
tribute concerts to much acclaim.