This story is from August 18, 2019

Vicky Kaushal: A star never makes a film, a film makes an actor a star. Uri did that for me

The actor talks to us about his challenging journey, what drives him and how he plans to keep himself charged for the long race ahead
Vicky Kaushal: A star never makes a film, a film makes an actor a star. Uri did that for me
Remember the classic Aesop’s fable of the Hare and the Tortoise? Where the overconfident and speedy Hare is assured about beating the slow and steady Tortoise in the race. That lesson is more about life, than a race. Actor Vicky Kaushal’s career is a page out of that story. One step at a time. Speed in check. Focus sharp. All engines fired and enough fuel saved to keep pace in the game.
And there, seven films and four years later, this powerhouse of talent proudly walks away with the National Award. With his josh at an all-time high, the actor talks to us about his challenging journey, what drives him and how he plans to keep himself charged for the long race ahead. Read on…
Over the past two years, your career has witnessed several landmark achievements — successful films (Raazi and Sanju in 2018), critical acclaim and to top it all, a National Award (Best Actor) for Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019). Has it sunk in, yet?
Sometimes I feel that it has, but then, I get that rush all over again. Kabhi aisa hota hai ki you realise the intensity of a certain happiness after seeing the reaction of others. Just when I think that it has sunk in, I go home and see my parents so full of joy and pride, and it’s a rush all over again. It feels like abhi announcement hua hai. I feel blessed that I got this opportunity to give immense happiness to my parents (action director Sham Kaushal and Veena Kaushal). They came to Mumbai from a small village in Punjab, and they have seen real struggles in life. Sunny (brother) and I were lucky to enjoy the luxuries that they provided us with. Hence, I know how they are feeling right now. I guess, at some point, everyone who is part of films thinks kaash kabhi aisa kuch ho jaaye (like winning a National Award), and for that to happen to me within four years of my career in movies, is too much to fathom.
Your climb was slow, but steady. It wasn’t overnight success or stardom. So, when so much happened suddenly in the last one year, was it overwhelming?
I feel like I have climbed every step of the ladder. I started from scratch, from not knowing how to go about auditions, to getting smaller opportunities, doing theatre, landing my first film, and now this recognition — it was a tough, but interesting journey. After I got my engineering degree in 2009, I was sure that I wanted to be an actor. However, I was in no hurry because I was clear that I wanted to understand filmmaking and know about all that unfolds behind the camera. The one thing I knew was that this wasn’t a trial and error process for me. Initially, even figuring out where auditions (for ads) were happening was tough, and when I reached there, I would find 400-500 people ahead of me. The first battle was how to be among the first ten, at least. As far as film auditions are concerned, by the time you come to know of them, the casting is mostly done. Finally, in 2015, Zubaan (directed by Mozez Singh) came my way, and it was the first film I cracked as a protagonist at the audition level. Then
Masaan happened the same year (but it released before Zubaan). At that point in my life, when I was struggling to crack it, I would wonder what’s lacking in me, little did I know that God has better plans for me.
Will winning the National Award change the way you view your career, choice of films and your overall perspective on how you see yourself steering the way ahead?
I think this is not the time for me to look around and see whether I am standing at the top, bottom or in the middle of the ladder. Instead, what I need to do is remember why I started this journey in the first place, and keep going on. I can’t take anything for granted. Now, I have to be more grounded and focused than ever before.
What would you say was the turning point for you?
Well, so many moments felt like a turning point. Starting from the point when I went to a multinational company (as part of an industrial visit while studying engineering) and realising that the corporate world is not for me. I knew for sure that I wouldn’t fit in there and I didn’t contemplate it for a single day. Bagging Zubaan, my first film, was a turning point. The kind of appreciation Masaan got, gave me tremendous confidence. Last year, Raazi, Manmarziyaan and Sanju collectively helped me reach out to a wider audience. Uri is certainly a defining film of my career. It gave me a hero-wala image in the eyes of the people, in the sense that, I was the solo lead. People knew that I was an actor, but that film gave people a perception that I can be a hero. Also, I always say that a star never makes a film, a film makes an actor a star. Uri did that for me. I will always say that what the Indian Army has given my family and me, I can’t express it in words. My father’s first film was Prahaar (1991, which was set against an army backdrop), and it was life-changing for him. Likewise, Uri won me a National Award, and that is indeed life-changing.
You just mentioned that you are an engineer by qualification. Why did you pursue it when you knew that your heart was in the movies? Was it a safety net or Plan B?
One thing was clear in our family — irrespective of what we wanted to pursue, we had to first complete our education. Tenth mein acche number aa gaye; so, I went with the flow. I am someone who believes that if I put my best foot forward, achcha hi hoga. At one point, as I mentioned earlier, I realised that this is not for me. Then I thought, I could pursue acting, possibly? I knew that I did not look like an actor, you know what I mean? I am talking about how it was 10-12 years ago, at a time when cinema was also different. It was not as evolved. There was this perception, that actor toh aise dikhte hai, aise hote hai. In 2009, I got my engineering degree and I also had a job offer letter in hand, which I tore into pieces, in full-on Bollywood style.
Honestly, I don’t believe in safety nets at all. Or making a Plan B. I believe that the extra one per cent that we all give, comes from our fear of survival and our fear of falling, when we have nothing to back us up. That’s where that added fire comes in and if you create a safety net, it could become the reason for complacency, and you could say, ‘So, if Plan A works, then good, or else, I have Plan B’. So, you are already thinking of your plans not working. I didn’t want to give myself that option. I told myself that this has to work, and I will make it work.
So, you were single-mindedly focused on being an actor. Whether you were a supporting actor, lead actor, or playing a small role, did not matter back then? Does it now?
Acting gives me the kind of joy that I can’t explain. Having said that, every actor in this country wants to be a hero. That’s one of the best things about being an actor. However, that was never the approach with which I came into the industry, ki hero banoonga, warna nahin. For me, being on a film set is like being in paradise. I don’t mind if you make me wait for two-three hours. If I am on the set, I am in a happy space. No matter how chaotic a film set is, it gives me peace. My focus was always on honing my skills as an actor, as I knew that my journey would not start off with a big launch. I had to prove my ability as an actor, and then, once I got my first break, it was about showing a certain kind of range with my roles.
Your father Sham Kaushal, has been an action director for years. Yet, your upbringing was far away from the world of movie sets and starry parties. So, when stardom happened, how did you react to it? And how did your family and friends react to how life has changed around you?
It is a beautiful feeling to receive so much love and affection from people. It’s humbling, and it took me time to get used to it. In the earlier years, whenever anyone requested for a photograph with me, I would ask them, ‘You know me? Have you seen my work?’ I started off with being called the Masaan guy. I don’t know how to react to stardom, I just feel humbled and grateful. My family is undoubtedly thrilled. Whenever we step out for dinner together and people ask me for pictures, they feel really happy. It is like their moment of pride. Sometimes, they even take ownership and tell the fans, ‘Haan, haan photo khichwao’. It is really funny. It is like they are watching some entertainment unfold. Of course, my friends are like all friends, they pull my leg about it. When they see people clicking selfies with me, they shoot videos of that, so that they can share it on our friends’ chat group and pull my leg further. These are the people who will always keep me grounded.
Now that you are considered a bankable hero, have the dynamics in the industry changed for you? I mean, the way producers and directors approach you and look at you as an actor who can bring in the numbers? It matters, right?
Of course, it matters. The kind of investment people would make in a Vicky Kaushal film has changed. It has gone up, and that happens when your film fares well at the box office. It also comes with a huge responsibility.
And it also adds immense pressure. In the beginning, it was more about proving that you are a stock of talent, and now, it is about picking great films that have the potential to bring in the moolah…
Yes, and that’s a good pressure. I have worked really hard so that I can feel this pressure on my shoulders. I have earned this pressure and I am cherishing it (laughs!). I want to put my best foot forward. I want to be as honest as I have always been, and not let all the attention (stardom) disturb that process, as everything that comes along is because of my honesty between action and cut. If I am honest in front of the camera, the rest of it will happen in the periphery. Like I said earlier, I can’t afford to lose focus or take anything for granted.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA