Vikrant Massey wants to leave a massive impact with engaging cinema

Ten years since his debut on the big screen, the actor credits the audience for believing in his talent

There is something about Vikrant Massey’s performances that stay with you long after you have exited the theatre or, in recent times, finished watching a film or a show he stars in on a digital platform. The actor has been consistent ever since his television days; he started his career with the popular soap Balika Vadhu in 2009, and his journey has only seen him grow from strength to strength.

Ten years ago, Massey made his big-screen debut with Lootera, playing lead actor Ranveer Singh’s friend. The trending ‘small role, big impact’ meme comes to mind when you think that it is this small role that caught actor Konkona Sensharma’s eye, following which she cast him in the lead role of Shutu in her directorial debut A Death in the Gunj in 2017. In movies such as Lipstick Under My Burkha, Chhapaak, Cargo, Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, Haseen Dilruba, and Love Hostel, and OTT shows such as Mirzapur, Broken but Beautiful, and Criminal Justice, Massey left audiences impressed with his versatility as an artiste. As he gears up for the mystery thriller Gaslight on March 31 on Disney + Hotstar, the actor spends some time analysing the choices he has made in the past decade. Edited excerpts from an interview with Massey: 

Your film Gaslight seems to be an interesting thriller. In the past, you havebeen a part of thrillers such as Haseen Dilruba, Love Hostel and Forensic. What draws you to this genre?

To begin with, the audience enjoys thrillers. As an audience member, I love watching thrillers, too. They are stimulating and engaging, and talking strictly of data–at least on OTT–a lot of people prefer watching thrillers over other genres. Most importantly, as a creative artist, it gives you so much scope for performance. There is a lot of scope for making engaging content and involving your audiences from the word go–as the twelfth man, as we say. Just by virtue of the genre, the audiences turn into Sherlock Holmes or Byomkesh Bakshi, involving themselves and trying to solve the mystery. It is a very receptive space.

Sara Ali Khan is your co-star in the film, whom you have called a “receptive actor” in earlier interviews. How was the experience of working with Sara, who is not just a star but also much junior in experience as compared to you?

It was lovely working with Sara. She is really hard-working. It is not just what she does in front of the camera but the number of hours she puts into prep behind the camera that I found really impressive. She is an intelligent, wise woman and has a very strong head on those young shoulders. As an actor, she pushed me. Her suggestions would really help me at times because we would closely watch each other’s shots. It is always wonderful as an actor if there is someone receptive on the other end. Acting is reacting, after all. So if someone is reacting to you the right way, half your job is done. 

You have had a couple of releases on OTT platforms in the past two years or so and most of them have received appreciation. Do you think we have managed to reach a stage where an actor’s worth or talent is not measured by Box Office success alone?

Absolutely. It is not just Box Office collections that determine any actor’s worth but also the quality of your content, scripts and the engagement that you generate. I am glad that I have been able to deliver successful films on OTT platforms. The lines have blurred now. Not a lot of your worth depends on your Box Office success because a lot of these so-called Box Office successes are sub-standard films. The quality of work on OTT, especially, is on par with international cinema. The nature of stories we are telling today is far more global in nature. We have seen an instance of it so recently, when a short documentary [released] on OTT went on to win an Oscar [referring to The Elephant Whisperers]. The times are changing, perceptions are changing, and the definition of quality and content is changing, too.

2023 marks ten years of your career in Hindi cinema since your debut on the big screen with Lootera (2013). In this decade, you have explored a variety of genres, platforms, characters and scripts and moved on from playing the lead actor’s best friend to essaying central characters. How do you look back upon these ten years ? Do you find some satisfaction in the work you have done?

More than ‘some’! (laughs) I am living a dream. I am so grateful for the life I have had because honestly, I had not imagined I would be working with such good people, or that if I could tell such good stories. Today, I have the opportunity–say, for instance, with Gaslight–to work with one of the biggest platforms in the world. It is a blessing to have worked with the technicians and storytellers I have collaborated with. All one can do is put their thoughts into actions and the rest follows. The audiences are really responsible for everything I am. They had been so kind when I was doing television. They really applauded me and supported me. When I was doing Balika Vadhu, I didn't know that I would become a film actor or that my films would be successful. I have such fond memories of these last ten years that words fall short sometimes to explain how grateful I am. However, there is a long way to go. Ten years down, but at least 50 more to go, I think!

Everyone agrees that this is a great time for actors because of the number of opportunities coming your way, especially because of OTT platforms. However, it does seem to be a double-edged sword because of the number of new actors/artistes either entering the industry or being re-discovered. Is there a sense of insecurity?

I don’t see it that way. I see this advent as an agent of change. Look at the number of great writers, technicians, storytellers, films and actors.; this is a great space to be in. The kind of recognition regional cinema has received in the last five years because of OTT platforms is stupendous. Rather than seeing it from a place of insecurity, one should be really optimistic and hopeful about the number of opportunities which are being created, as we speak, on these platforms. At the cost of sounding slightly arrogant, I know what I bring to the table. I have my audiences who have been with me since Balika Vadhu, who are willing to take out two hours from their precious life and watch me when I come on screen, irrespective of the medium I come on. I have no reason to fear.

Post Gaslight, what’s in the pipeline?

I have Mumbaikar, directed by Santosh Sivan, where I am collaborating with Vijay Sethupathi. Then I have Sector 36 produced by Maddock Films and directed by Aditya Nimbalkar. There is Blackout with first-time director Devang Bhavsar. It is a very conscious decision to do at least one film in a year with a first-time director. After that I have 12th Fail, which is a Vidhu Vinod Chopra film and, of course, I have Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba.  

Also Read: Debut actor Zahan Kapoor on living up to the family’s legacy

Also Read: The Bollywood horror genre is not relying on the spook factor alone

Also Read: In the battle of the OTTs, who is winning the Indian leg of the race?