would be lying if I said that
I never wanted to be a lead
actor,” he says. After his debut
on television with Kahaan Hoo
Main (2004), he worked in TV
series like Dharam Veer (2008),
Balika Vadhu (2009), and Qubool
Hai (2013), among others. He
got his first big break in cinema
only after 14 years of being part
of the industry, in Lootera (2013). The
role of Devdas, a friend of lead actor
Ranveer Singh, brought him rightly
deserved recognition and appreciation
as an artiste. Vikrant Massey’s journey,
however, had just begun. Post Lootera,
Massey had no work for the next eight to
nine months due to lack of offers which
eventually led him to go back to the
small screen. Later, he received an
offer for Zoya Akhtar’s family drama,
Dil Dhadakne Do, but again, for
a supporting role. But, as they say, every
cloud has a silver lining; and he bagged
the main lead as Shyamal Chatterjee
in Konkana Sensharma’s A Death in the
Gunj. Currently, he is working alongside
Deepika Padukone for Meghna Gulzar’s
Chhapaak apart from enjoying the
acclaim for his character, Nawab Khan,
in Akhtar’s Made In Heaven. Excerpts
from the interview:Was working with Konkona
Sensharma the turning point?
She gave me an opportunity at a time
when nobody thought I could shoulder
a project of this magnitude. The film
changed the way people saw me—from
a secondary character to an integral part
of the narrative.THE BIG STORY
How difficult is it for an outsider
to carve a niche for himself in the
film fraternity?
Persistent hona toh bahut zaroori hai.
However, there is a lot of debate on
outsiders and insiders. I really don’t see it
that way. The beauty of this democratic
industry is that merit survives. If you’re
good enough, you will get decent work.What do you take away from each
experience or role?
Acting is a part of me; it changes
me as a person. Every experience is
different—every director, writer, or
project is different. Every relationship
is a transaction and an exchange of
information. I believe that no matterwho you work with, there’s always
something you can learn. When
working on Chhapaak, I learnt patience
and discipline from Deepika, and the
importance of doing your homework
from Meghnaji.You’ve been quoted saying, ‘We
are hiring actors who are popular
on Instagram’.
I’ve been facing tremendous flak for
that statement, but I still believe that
artistes should not be hired on the basis
of their popularity. If we’re talking about
Instagram, the number of followers you
have does not determine the amount
of talent you have. Slowly but steadily
things are changing, and I can only hope
it gets better with time.How do you choose your roles?
What resonates with me while I read
a script is relatability. I want my viewers,
irrespective of their age or gender, to
be a part of the story. I want them to
feel what my character is feeling, and
go through all the same motions. I pick
roles that impact me as an individual,
and through my acting, resonate with
the audience.Actor Vikrant Massey, chats with
Charlene Flanagan on his journey from
rejection to success, and what it takes
to deliver a stellar performanceA CLASS ACT
I BELIEVE THAT NO
MATTER WHO YOU
WORK WITH, THERE’S
ALWAYS SOMETHING
YOU CAN LEARN