Vikrant Massey is currently seen in Crimes Aaj Kal. The Gaslight actor is enjoying every bit of hosting the show and is as intrigued with the cases as the audiences. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
It’s a liberating time for all the people who are in the film industry today. How does it feel to venture into hosting a crime show?
It’s a great time for all of us. I have hosted before but to come back to hosting Crimes Aaj Kal is a lovely feeling. This is even darker than the films I have done in the recent past. This is far more disturbing. We live a privileged life but the moment you will come to know what’s happening around you is shocking. The incidents shown in the show are inspired by real life.
Go on…
The cases will shake you up, and if it involves younger generation, teenagers, it really sort of tugs at your heart. The larger story is to go out to the people and tell these stories, make them understand the nature of modern crimes, inform and educate them. There’s a reason why we have a cyber cell in place. There are so many stories that are disturbing, I can’t really pick one, social media is the crux of it.
Are you a social media savvy person?
Some days, I feel pressured to post on social media but most of the time, I refrain myself from doing it because it doesn’t come naturally to me. I do as I feel, there’s no mandatory compulsion for me. I am an actor and my job is what I do between action and cut. A lot of people don’t want to know what I wear and where I holiday (laughs).
After Mirzapur, has your trajectory changed by doing certain types of roles?
With Mirzapur (2018), Haseen Dillruba (2021), Love Hostel (2022) or be it Gaslight, it is a conscious decision. As an actor, I want to play varied parts. Where I do Ginny Weds Sunny (2020), I also do 14 Phere (2021). Bloodshed and thrillers tend to stand out but there are some great stories coming out this year. Luckily, I haven’t been typecast yet.
As an actor, you have seen big screen releases but does having straight to OTT releases bother you in any way?
Not at all. I think it’s a great time to be a storyteller. Yes, I do miss the community viewing experience but that doesn’t make me depressed. I still have chosen to be a part of Mirzapur or Criminal Justice (2021). In today’s time, most of the data is consumed on a phone screen. My idea is to interact with those audiences.
Do you believe that OTT is a saving grace to avoid poor box office numbers?
You can’t generalise the two. Audiences are coming for some films to the theatres. The dubbed Marvel films are doing much more business than the original Hindi films. Most of the regional films are doing better than Hindi films. OTT is definitely making content that is far more universal.
