How is Bob Biswas doing there?” That’s the first thing Purab Kohli, who plays drug dealer Bubai in the recently released Bob Biswas — starring Abhishek Bachchan as the eponymous character and shot in Kolkata — asks me when I log in for a video call with him. The reason for our chat? Purab — who starred in the much-acclaimed international series Sense8 a few years ago and has now shifted base to London — has hit big time, starring as Zen, man-bun sporting game developer, in The Matrix Resurrections. Excerpts...

Being part of one of the biggest movie franchises in the world is huge! Has it sunk in yet?

It hasn’t sunk in yet! Honestly, I haven’t seen much of the film yet because I have been here in London. I am going to the premiere (in Los Angeles) and I am looking forward to that. But those who have watched it, like you, have been saying nice things about the impact that my little part has. So I am excited, really excited (smiles).

How did the film happen? Was every moment on set surreal?

I had worked with Lana before in Sense8 and to be honest, being on the sets of Sense8 used to be surreal for me back then. I kept telling myself that I was working with the maker of the Matrix films, you know. That surreal feeling had been felt already.

I remember we had shot a scene at the Eiffel Tower and we had the afterparty right after that and everyone was like, ‘Wow! It was so amazing to shoot at the Eiffel Tower’. But I was like, ‘How amazing was it to shoot with Lana Wachowski!’ (Smiles) It was a dream come true for me. I remember when I watched the first Matrix film, I was like, ‘This is a film I would love to be a part of’. And hey, 22 years later, I am in one of those films (smiles).

So being on the sets of this Matrix film was an extension of that party we were having on Sense8. A lot of the crew was similar, and a lot of my friends from Sense8 were in the scene that I was in in The Matrix Resurrections.

And then, of course, to top it all, there was Keanu Reeves sitting right next to me! (Laughs) That was quite something. I was like, ‘Wow, this is quite a party... I can’t believe I am here, let’s just keep enjoying this while the going is good’.

What makes you a fan of the Matrix films?

Like everyone else, a lot of things. I have always been a lover of cinema. Growing up, I have always had cinema around me. When I first watched it, what blew me away about the Matrix was the kind of technology it used... the way the visuals were used to tell the story was very pure. It felt like an artist was going out there and displaying what they do best. It also had a great story... 20 years later, we can see how those films foretold the future, the fact that how all of us have been flung into a ‘matrix’ right now. Anyone who has seen the Matrix trilogy would have the same experience as me... completely blown away by what they said, what they did and what they showcased. I am definitely part of that audience.

How does doing this film provide a fillip to your quest for a global career?

With this film, I can safely say that a large number of people in the world would have seen me! (Laughs)