My struggles and experiences have taught me a lot: Viineet Kumar
Actor Viineet Kumar was struggling to make a mark in films but after he got a big break with Mukkabaaz (2017), wherein he played a boxer, his life changed overnight. “The film gave me a lot. I felt as if mujhe meri zindagi ke dus saal mil gaye. I would say that one’s efforts never go to waste. We should never give up and always keep trying. It is not something that I have heard but something I know. My struggles and experiences have taught me a lot. It is engraved in me and I can use them in my performances,” says the actor, who was recently seen in a web show with Emraan Hashmi, and is shooting for two films — the Gunjan Saxena biopic and Aadhaar.
Viineet is now looking forward to his next film, Saand Ki Aankh, costarring Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu as octogenarian shooter dadis. Ask him his take on the debate on why the makers didn’t cast senior actors for the roles of dadis, and he says, “I am not responsible for the whole film but only for my character. I try to do justice to the writer and director’s vision for a role. I don’t think about the rest as it is not my place. I focus on my work, which is essential for me. I had to work on my accent and lingo, which was unlike Mukkabaaz. Also, shooting is a sport, which requires a lot of concentration and control over your breath. I have been a national-level basketball player, so I understand the hardships of a sportsperson,” Viineet shares, adding that he wasn’t sure whether people would understand the name of the film.
The trend of making sport biopics is on the rise and although Saand Ki Aankh is based on the life of the shooter dadis, it is not essentially a biopic on them. The 39-year old feels that there are “one too many being made”. “But some stories need to be told as these real life experiences inspire many people all over the world. As a kid, living in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, I remember taking my elder sister to practice cricket as girls were not allowed to play. She is a national-level athlete today. Saand Ki Aankh resonated with me as the story of empowered women needs to be told today,” he concludes.