Viveck Vaswani, Actor-filmmaker
“Nowadays, the young take a gap year; I took a four-year-long gap year!”
What were your career options back then?
I had none because I was terrible at studies. All I did during my school and college days was watch movies. But I knew everything about movies! I would go to the theatre daily and speak to the projectionists, gatekeepers and ticket sellers. My entire knowledge of cinema came from them, there was no Google then!
Your bank balance?
I did not have a bank account. I would take cash from my father’s cupboard—he left it open for me. I took 15 every day.
Your relationship status?
I was single. It didn’t strike me I could do anything else in a theatre except watch films.
Your focus in life.
Nowadays, the young take a gap year; I took a four-year-long gap year! I was ambitious enough to want to do theatre and film. I knew I could always take over my father’s retail business.
What was your frame of mind?
I had no angst. I was brought up to be grateful for all my blessings. I had deep faith in God, which is still the case today.
Who was family to you and what was your equation with them?
Besides my parents, I have two younger brothers. Gautam has been with Apple in America for years and Dev is in Dubai, building an ad film empire. We are lucky we all get along, which is quite rare. Now my mom stays with each one of us in turn.
Whose posters did you have on your walls?
Of pop group ABBA.
“MY KNOWLEDGE OF CINEMA CAME FROM PROJECTIONISTS, GATEKEEPERS AND TICKET SELLERS”
What was your fashion sense like?
Non-existent. Shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. As I have OCD and have to do all my stuff myself, these are the easiest outfits to wash.