When Vicky Kaushal knocked on every door for work
Shreya Mukherjee
Getting the kind of work that interests them is a blessing for any actor, feels Vicky Kaushal. As the actor’s performances in Raazi and the recently-released Sanju are being applauded, he says that the opportunities he has got make him feel both “humble and motivated”.
“Good films not only help me grow as an actor but as a human being. I just feel I am a kid who is learning how to walk, trying to understand how the floor feels right now. The last three years have been overwhelming — getting the opportunity to work with the likes of Neeraj Ghaywan, Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Meghna Gulzar… both motivates and humbles me. If you are focused, then the rewards this industry gives you are just amazing,” he says.
Looking back, Vicky recalls the time when things were not this colourful. “Audition phase mein bahut lagta tha ki kya hoga… I was knocking at every door for auditions. I would meet people and say, ‘please give me a chance’. There have also been times when I would get selected for a role, [but] at the last moment, would get replaced. It was disheartening and every time such things happened, the finishing line seemed too far,” says the actor.
Vicky humbly gives all the credit of his successful ventures to the movies’ crew. “I feel lucky to be able to work with such great filmmakers on such wonderful stories. But I can’t take credit for Masaan (2015), Love per Square Foot, Raazi, or Lust Stories. Agar logon ne meri tareef ki hain, then that means they took the story back home. So the credit goes to the directors, editors, and cinematographers. I am just a part of the story and worked on it for a few days, but there are people who worked for years,” he says.