The first thing you realise after speaking to Moses Koul is that he relishes a challenge. The Economics graduate first picked up a guitar in high school but started practising seriously only in his last year of college when he wanted to join a band. Meet Moses the musician.
He took eight months off last year to train his vocals to record and produce four songs for his debut EP, of which the first track, titled ‘Jee Le’, is out already. In an exclusive reveal, he also name-drops his next song release, called ‘Ek Raat’, where his character is a little different to the boy-next-door you see in the ‘Jee Le’ music video. Meet Moses the vocalist and solo artist.
The Delhiite moved to Mumbai in June 2022 and landed his first ever acting gig in the Netflix show Class, where he plays the twisted character called Sharan Gujral. Meet Moses the rising actor. But it wasn’t always like this, he tells me.
“I always felt like the direct spotlight was a little too unnerving for me. So just left of centre, where the guitar player stands...that’s perfect. But after doing Class, the inhibition and the vanity of being shy—because being shy is also quite narcissistic—was broken.” It’s why he ultimately decided not to feature other people as vocalists for the songs he’s written the lyrics of because it was now or never to truly begin his arc as Moses the solo act. “I decided to get out of my own way,” he continues.
This self-assuredness extends to how he feels about his appearance—there’s none of that pseudo-machismo here to impress the camera. He has soft features, I-woke-up-like-this hair with a personality of its own, and prefers a clean-shaven look even when casting calls have a checklist that sounds a bit like rugged, bearded, and butch. “I’ve been ridiculed as a man way before I even entered the industry. People would say, ‘He’s too fem-looking and his eyelashes are too big. Why doesn’t he have a beard or a six-pack? Why doesn’t his hair stand up?’
Koul is open to experimenting if a role demands, but he’s careful to discern professional and personal preferences. “I’m not going to grow a beard just because that’s what’s working. That’s not what I’m offering. I’m not running a race; I’m on a different track altogether. And my track is through the forest, and it smells green, calm, and meditative.”
If that doesn’t give you a hint already, Koul is a cologne junkie who loves spritzing on something that reminds him of a feeling or transports him to a place. A quick scroll through his Instagram reveals he’s a fan of brands like Kilian Paris and Bvlgari. He nerds out on the compositions, explaining how ethyl maltol is the compound used in gourmand fragrances and that his Paris itinerary involved a trip to a fragrance lab. Below, we chat about why he couldn’t care less for a 10-step skincare routine, his fear of bathtubs, and why he has beef with red-light masks:
If your voice had a fragrance, what would it smell like?
I think it would be calming, friendly, and welcoming. Maybe a mix of two notes: sandalwood and fig. Fig is very green and the right amount of bitter. Sandalwood, because it’s just one of those things that’s meditative.
What do you look for in a fragrance?
I don’t care about brand name or value. For me it’s about composition. The brands I like, I like for the perfumers they work with. So, in Paris I didn’t go to any perfume boutiques, I went to the labs. I visited the lab of this one brand, Nicolaï; the founder, Patricia de Nicolaï, used to work with Guerlain and they let me really nerd out.
Biggest grooming ick?
I don’t prefer facial hair that much. I like a clean-shaven look. I guess it’s because I’ve grown up watching my dad and grandads shave and go to work. So, that ick is mine. I ick myself out, not anybody else.
What will we never find on your beauty shelf?
Maybe those techy gadgets, like red-light masks. I’m not arguing the efficacy of the product. I think it’s the stressful experience of having it on because it feels like I’m at the doctor’s. Not relaxing in the slightest.
How do you feel about ageing?
I think this is something that I’ve discussed with my partner a lot. The emphasis on ageing and what it means for your career is very different for women than it is for men. In fact, it couldn’t have been more evident to me, especially when I worked on certain projects and saw the amount of nitpicking that women have to go through.
What is a beauty trend you tried and regretted?
I was at a look test and the makeup artist put these undereye patches to de-puff the skin. When she took it off, the area was red and swollen. I’m not brave enough to try it again.
Do you have a haircare routine?
If I can get away with not using anything, that’s ideal. No hairspray or gel, because my hair really starts to fall flat because of the weight of these products. I don’t like how they feel because I run my hands through my hair a lot.
What’s currently on your beauty wish list?
I have a very strange beauty wish list. I want a storage solution, because I collect colognes, and my idea of wealth is the biggest geyser that I can buy, because I love scalding showers.
Not a bubble bath kind of guy?
There’s something about stagnant water that I’m not a fan of. Also, I’ve seen too many episodes of Dexter…
