Vicky Kaushal, the unstoppable

Nonika Singh

Advertisement

Whether you loved Sanju or hated the film, there’s no way you could have escaped Vicky Kaushal’s stellar act as Kamli, the protagonist’s friend. You might be a hatemonger and diehard Pakistan baiter, you just fall in love with his Pakistani armyman act of a sensitive and caring husband in Raazi. Vicky Kaushal, easily actor of the year 2018, has every reason to feel happy about. At heart, however, the star actor of Masaan remains a Punjabi. With roots going back to Hoshiarpur, he would not miss a date with his village. 

Currently shooting in Serbia for his upcoming film Uri, which is based on surgical strikes, the actor opens up about why he said yes to the film, how he approaches his character and how he takes the adulation that is sweeping him. Excerpts from an interview: 

From donning the uniform of an officer in the Pakistani army to playing a patriot in Uri, how did you make the switch?

As an actor I am trained in the   art of attachment, detachment, wiping off the slate clean and then working on the next character. But, of course, when I was handed the script of Uri, I was shooting for Raazi. At that time, I was trying to get into the skin of a Pakistani army officer. So when I was asked by the filmmaker if I was able to relate to the script where I had to play a commando of the Indian Army, I asked them to give me some time to think about it. 

Raazi, Sanju and now Uri — all three are inspired by real-life incidents. Do you sense a weight of responsibility to make

these more real?

Indeed, telling a real story does come with an additional pressure. For, you can’t trivialise the issue or overstep limits of the world you are showing. It is like a double-edged sword. Since the audience is already familiar with the story, there is an inherent excitement attached to the film. On the other hand, they know the incident only in broad strokes, and we complete the picture. But that also means they are judging you. In Sanju, there was great pressure on Ranbir Kapoor. That’s because Sanjay Dutt is talking and walking right in the middle of us.

Patriotism seems to be the flavour of the season, and many 

feel that filmmakers are out to milk this subject. 

Will Uri, too, be jingoistic? 

What will be the flavour of Uri is not for me to comment. Hopefully, it will recount things as these happened without exaggeration, and I will play my part with honesty. Beyond that, it is the audience’s opinion that matters.

What made you say yes to Uri?

It’s a story that needs to be told. What went into executing one of Indian Army’s most efficient covert operations is something that people deserve to know, and be proud of. Besides, it’s an action film, a genre I am eager to explore.

In Raazi and Sanju, you did not play the lead role, and yet you walked away with the laurels. What does that say about cinema today?

We are living in times when a story, and not an actor or actress per se, matters. Stars don’t make films. It is the  film that makes a star. Movies have a far greater identity and entity. Today writers and directors are investing so much into the visualisation of their films that audiences carry home the story, and even actors who may have only one scene in the film. For this, the credit goes to the filmmaker for making the story click.

How did you prepare for your role of Kamli in Sanju?

For a theth (pure) Punjabi like me, it required a lot of hard work to transform into a pure Gujarati. A dialect coach helped me sail through. Besides, I had many sessions with Rajkumar Hirani as well as Ranbir Kapoor. Apart from getting Kamli’s Gujarati accent right, we had to ensure that he didn’t end up being a caricature. Then, his transition from a typical Gujarati, who had just landed in the US, to an accomplished man well-settled in America, too, had to be factored in. 

You essayed the role of a sensitive and caring Pakistani in Raazi to perfection. Did that win you admirers in Pakistan as well?

My friends often joked that you would definitely get a national award in Pakistan. It was so refreshing to play Iqbal, a Pakistani who was not a crude-shrewd beast as we fallaciously imagine everyone from our neighbouring country to be. That’s why I said yes to the role. During the shoot, I would often forget who was an Indian and who was a Pakistani, for each character was nuanced and layered.

When do we see you working in a Punjabi film?

I would love to work in a Punjabi film. It is so heartening to watch the kind of films being made in Punjabi cinema today. These films have an international look and appeal. My all-time favourite is Anurag Singh’s Punjab 1984. I became so emotional while watching the film that I had tears in my eyes. When Anurag texted me after watching Sanju, it was the best compliment I received for my role. 

You have acted in Netflix’s Love Per Square Foot and Lust Stories. What is your take on the digital medium? 

Entertainment today has a new name. Internet has  added substance to the menu card of entertainment. It is in consonance with the changing lifestyle of millennials as well as the ever-evolving face of technology, which will continue to throw up newer ways of reaching out sooner than you can anticipate. That web’s reach is immense can be gauged from the fact that some of the films are being aired across 120 countries.  

If 2017 was the year of Rajkummar Rao, 2018 is Vicky Kaushal’s, say industry watchers. What is your take on this?

I am humbled. I would like to work hard in every film  I do and enact each role with sincerity and honesty. So all years, and not just this one, are mine. 

Vicky Kaushal may not be willing to reveal how the  success of Raazi and Sanju has affected him, his fans can look forward to important announcements soon. Till then, watch out for Vicky special in Uri and Manmarziyaan.