'I surrender myself to the character': Vicky Kaushal on his process as an actor

'I surrender myself to the character': Vicky Kaushal on his process as an actor

The actor is basking in the praise coming his way for the Sardar Udham Singh biopic

S RamachandranUpdated: Saturday, November 06, 2021, 11:23 PM IST
article-image

Vicky Kaushal, who turned the spotlight on him with the critically-acclaimed film, Masaan, is on a career-high. The actor is basking in the praise coming his way for his portrayal of the Indian revolutionary, Sardar Udham Singh, in the movie Sardar Udham. But it was the Aditya Dhar-directorial, Uri: The Surgical Strike, that turned Vicky into a star. However, the actor admits the word ‘star’ is media created, and he does forget about the star after stepping into the character he is playing on screen. “The word ‘star’ gets affixed to you in newspaper and magazine articles. I am an actor by profession, and I go out to do my job. I don’t step out of the house thinking if I should act like an actor or a star. I know my assignment, and I try to be honest towards the characters I am portraying. I don’t think much... I do not see the demarcation between a star and an actor. In your heart, you are always an actor. It is a job like any other. You just do your work and come back home,” Vicky shares.

Life lessons

Not many might know, but Vicky started his Bollywood journey as an assistant director in 2012 with Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur. He made his Bollywood debut as an actor with Kashyap’s co-production, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, following it up with Bombay Velvet before landing the lead role in Masaan. And from Masaan to the recent Sardar Udham, Vicky has played diverse characters on screen. He says each character has helped him not only hone his craft as an actor but also evolve into a better person.

“That’s the beauty of my job; I get the opportunity to understand different perspectives by playing diverse characters. I surrender myself to the character, which helps me evolve as an actor and as a human being. I enjoy being an actor, and I feel blessed to be collaborating with fantastic filmmakers on great stories. I give my best, and I leave the rest to the audience,” he says.

Star trek

For years now, real-life stories have been used as a blueprint for several Bollywood movies. They not only act as great fodder for cinematic endeavours but also bring to screen lesser-known stories. And many actors have successfully brought to life these people from real life to screen. For instance, Akshay Kumar in movies like Airlift, Gold or Bell Bottom; John Abraham in Shootout at Wadala, Batla House or Parmanu. With Sardar Udham, Vicky too succeeded in transforming on screen into a person who was a part of history. Netizens have been going gaga about the three being able to pull off such roles. “These are personal opinions. I am an actor, and these decisions are taken by the casting director, the director and the producers. So, we will continue to do our job as actors, and the audiences are free to have their opinions,” Vicky adds.

The Udham journey

For Vicky, stepping into Sardar Udham Singh’s shoes was not an easy task. It was a rather emotionally and physically draining character. “I knew as an actor I was getting into an intense space. What I was not prepared for was, while doing the role, getting into the mind of the 19-year-old Udham Singh. I realised later that I had possibly only undergone 10 per cent of what he had, and that would numb me,” he says about spending sleepless nights thinking about the sacrifice Singh made for his country.Vicky’s performance in the climax of the film, especially during the aftermath of the massacre, has been liked by everyone as the actor went through a 50-minute ordeal on screen and many days of shooting for it. Speaking about his experience of shooting the sequence, Vicky said, “We shot the sequence over a few days. We used to shoot from 7 pm to 11 pm, but in those four hours, no one would sit down. There were no chairs for the director, the cast or the crew. I, for instance, did not even know where the cameras were. I didn’t know if it was a long shot or a close-up. I just had to perform. There was no rehearsal. Sometimes I was pulling someone, dragging someone or carrying someone on my shoulders. I did everything I could, depending on what I felt at that moment. It was a physically and mentally tiring sequence.”

Shoojit Sircar’s directorial, Sardar Udham, which released last month, recently made headlines when it failed to make it as India’s official entry to Oscar. The movie was one of the 14 that was considered for the Academy Awards. The controversy erupted when one of the jury members of the Film Federation of India (FFI), Indraadip Dasgupta, in his reason for rejecting the movie, said it was a little too lengthy and harps too much about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. And while the intention of making the movie was good, in the process of bringing to life a story of a lesser-known revolutionary, we ended up showing our hatred towards the British. While many jury members have distanced themselves from Dasgupta’s comments, it has drawn netizens’ ire.On the work front, Vicky is currently busy with Sam Bahadur, which is based on the life of India’s first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

He is also doing films with Vijay Krishna Acharya, Shashank Khaitan and Laxman Utekar for producer Dinesh Vijan, co-starring Sara Ali Khan. “I am doing a film with Yash Raj and one with Dharma Productions, and they will make the announcements soon. As for other films that are being talked about, you will have to wait for the makers to speak about them,” Vicky signs off.

RECENT STORIES

Parineeti Chopra REACTS To Netizens Speculating She's Pregnant After Her Appearance In Flowy Outfit

Parineeti Chopra REACTS To Netizens Speculating She's Pregnant After Her Appearance In Flowy Outfit

Madame Web OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Dakota Johnson's Film

Madame Web OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Dakota Johnson's Film

Bobby Deol To Play Villain Opposite Alia Bhatt, Sharvari In Spy Universe Film

Bobby Deol To Play Villain Opposite Alia Bhatt, Sharvari In Spy Universe Film

Hatching OTT Release Date: Know About Cast, Plot & Platform

Hatching OTT Release Date: Know About Cast, Plot & Platform

Engaged Or Married? Aditi Rao Hydari & Siddharth Flaunt New Rings, Make It Official Amid Wedding...

Engaged Or Married? Aditi Rao Hydari & Siddharth Flaunt New Rings, Make It Official Amid Wedding...