‘BEFORE EVERY FILM, I’M LIKE ASTUDENT TAKING AN EXAM’
Bollywood’s ‘common man’ Vikrant Massey approaches every film as an opportunity to learn
The year 2020 is shaping up to be big for actor Vikrant Massey. It started off with Chhapaak, and films like Ginny Weds Sunny with Yami Gautam and Haseen Dilruba with Taapsee Pannu are also lined up. The actor might be on a signing spree, but Massey says that he still looks for a thread of relatability in the characters he portrays.
“I have to be able to understand whether my audience relate to it or not. It begins with me, and ends with my audience. If I’m not convinced, I won’t be able to convince them. They are very smart. I’ve always wanted to represent the common man — be it in A Death In The Gunj, Lipstick Under My Burkha (both 2016) or my recent film, Chhapaak. That’s the first and foremost thing I see,” explains the 34-year old, who recently had his roka with girlfriend Sheetal Thakur. “We will get married sometime soon,” is all that he quips when the topic of marriage is approached.
The quality and quantity of roles might have changed in the seven years that Massey has been a part of Bollywood, but there’s one thing that has remained constant. “Before every release, I feel like a school or college student, about to give his exams! With Chhapaak, it was a little compounded. It was a special film for me personally,” he says. The film also starring Deepika Padukone got a lukewarm response at the BO, but it was well received by critics. “Apart from the script, one thing that compelled me to do the film was director Meghna Gulzar. Even before the script, it had to be her. She’s the finest that we have. For any aspiring actor, it’s once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with her for a project like Chhapaak. Getting to see her up close and personal. I’m so glad that I got the chance to work with her. I picked up so many things just by noticing her. These will help me in my career,” he says.
■ rishabh.suri@htlive.com
I’ve always wanted to represent the common man — be it in A Death In The Gunj, Lipstick Under My Burkha (both 2016) or my recent film, Chhapaak. That’s the first and foremost thing I see.
VIKRANT MASSEY ACTOR