Forget the N-word!

Vikrant Parmar

He is a humble bloke who is making steady progress in tinsel town, yet when Lakshya Kochhar, in measured words, presents his views on the industry and accepts nepotism as a ground reality that is here to stay, realisation dawns that he is here for the long haul. The Rocky Wadhwani of recently released Amazon mini TV series Industry, Lakshya, sure makes a lot of sense.

Playing the son of a producer, who has been catapulted into the industry, it’s a question of identity for him. “My character, Rocky, is a product of nepotism, but wants to make a name for himself and so struggles with identity issues. He has got multiple breaks, unlike the struggling protagonist, a script-writer who can hardly break through the industry circles,” he says about his role in Industry, a five-part series that also stars Gagan Arora, Chunky Panday, Ankita Goraya, Lakshya Kochhar and Asha Negi.

Ah, nepotism…the word sure rings a bell, more than one! “It is a fact one needs to accept, so why complain? Nepotism exists in every field, but highlighted more here. One should trust one’s talent and work hard; ultimately that will matter. It’s a choice we make to be in this industry, so why crib? In fact, one should focus on working harder and harder, so that one fine day these debates on nepotism are erased from one’s mind. Just forget the N-word. Denial mode nahi hona chahiye, no angst,” he speaks his mind.

Earlier, having made a mark in Prime Video series Bambai Meri Jaan (2023) and the film Gold (2018), Lakshya believes he entered the industry well prepared. “I come from Bhopal, so pretty much knew would not have any backing in Mumbai. But armed with a course in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy, I first took up the role of assistant director to understand the tricks of the trade. Thankfully, all panned out well and here I am,” he shares.

Not without a fair share of struggles, we assume? “That is a given. Being an outsider in the industry, it is always an uphill climb. I have given multiple auditions for roles before finally bagging them. But, like I said earlier, nothing replaces the power of hard work, not even your innate talent. So, in this industry where competition is rife be prepared to do the hard yards and take failure in your stride,” he adds with much conviction.

Lakshya says his character in Industry was one that reflects the pulse of the times and strikes a chord with the audience immediately, “It all came so organically, unlike my role in Bambai Meri Jaan. The latter was a period drama, so the set up was different, where one had to adapt and adopt the ways of the underworld. This role was much more contemporary.”

As the failed actor and writer come together at the end of Season 1 of Industry, Lakshya hopes the next outing of the series makes a mark too. Only time will tell!