I feel there's a halo around me, a constant sunshine wherever I go.
Vicky Kaushal
Acting between action and cut is temporary. The result is permanent.
Love hasn't changed, and it never will, no matter what kind of a society we become.
I feel there's a constant sense of happiness and gratefulness in me.
The biggest validation comes from my parents, because they know me in and out.
When you get to work with a good director, an actor's job gets reduced to half.
I just want to grow as an actor and work with good directors.
My dad has always inspired me.
I am a tikka lover.
It's a reality that you get boxed and stereotyped, but I am not afraid of that. It's my quest as an actor to explore different territories.
When you are given a character, there are times when you can relate to two out of 10 things of the character, and then there are times when you can relate to eight out of 10 things.
I would want to believe that every film I do turns out to be the turning point of my career.
'Raazi,' for me, is a human story - it's much more than just a spy thriller.
I don't categorise cinema at all. If I am doing this, that means I am limiting myself.
I have seen my dad working with utmost sincerity and integrity, the sacrifices he made. I have also seen the rewards: if you give your best, you get your worth.
I will keep working hard in future as well so that audience will keep showering their love upon me.
I was born in a 10x10 room of a chawl, and we shared a common bathroom with other people in the neighbourhood.
As a kid, I grew up watching movies in the cinema, so that dream and charm will never die.
I would like to take up any kind of film that comes my way if I find the story interesting and challenging.
Subconsciously, there was always an actor inside me. But while growing up, it was a very normal childhood because my dad never got films to the dining table and never discussed films.
I never pondered during my struggling phase that I should have become an engineer, as I knew that was not my life. I couldn't have lived it. It would have been a very claustrophobic life.
I always knew that I will have to find my own way in the industry. My father had told me that making a mark in Bollywood will be solely my fight.
I believe a lot in energies, and I feel that everyone's energies synced in 'Masaan.'
All I know is that I intend to do films which are different from each other, work with good directors and on great stories so that I get to grow as an actor. That's my only attempt.
Every film has its own destiny, and everything happens for a reason.
My introduction into the film industry happened with 'Masaan,' which was a multi-star cast film. I was just a part of the film.
When you get an opportunity to work in good films like 'Raazi,' it boosts your confidence to know that good filmmakers are willing to work with you.
'Race' is one of the most successful film franchises in Bollywood. So I was really excited and honoured on being approached for the film. But since I was already committed to another film during the same time as the makers are planning to shoot 'Race 3,' things eventually didn't work out, unfortunately.
Giving auditions is a great exercise. They will provide you with a script, and you prepare in 10 minutes. And you perform in front of 100 other people.
My job is to give my best, and where my journey would take me is something that I have left to God. I am not much of a planner; I am more of a doer.
I did engineering, and when people asked me my career plans, I used to say I would do an MBA.
I know that in Bollywood, there is this constant talk on which actor's film is minting how much money, but we are living in a time where the focus is shifting from 'actor's responsibility' to the result of a great team work. I believe filmmaking is about that.
My dad battled various financial mishaps for years before achieving success as a stunt director, but my parents ensured that my brother and I knew all about the family's struggle. We knew from where each piece of furniture came from.
I don't take very calculated decisions. I just follow my heart.
During my engineering days, we were taken for an industrial visit. I realised that I can't do a regular job.
It's been a surreal journey for me since 'Masaan.' The way the industry has accepted me and motivated me has been amazing.
As an actor, if you want to explore something new inside you, you need to do something different that you don't do in your regular life. You need to think in a different way. It is my duty to think like the character that I am given and believe in his mindset; only then I will be able to portray it.
There are media houses which put headline with a question mark, and that is how they can get away without taking the accountability of the allegation. They put the question mark. Let's analyze it a little - a common reader will not remember the question mark: they will remember the allegation.
I wasn't the star-obsessed person. I never wanted to meet stars at film sets.
I did not have any inclination towards cinema. The atmosphere at home was not filmy, and we would never discuss anything related to films.
I can't cook to save my life. I'm a disaster.
We are conditioned to believe that the hero is always a man, but it might not necessarily be so.
'Zubaan' is the first film I had signed as a lead. It was an opportunity I was waiting for, coming at a time when I was getting shortlisted for roles but was unable to make the final cut.
When people say I've become a star, it takes time to sink in.
When I am playing the protagonist of the film, before the release, I feel a certain pressure because I become the face of the film, then, and I have a major responsibility.
I am very happy that I am getting to play such layered and demanding characters. I feel blessed that directors are trusting me with such roles.
My father said he will always support me but just not as an action director. It is a deal between both of us. He is an inspiration because he is a self-made man. I want to set that same example for my kids. I will fight it out.
Whenever a relationship doesn't go on the right path, it affects me in some form, but it hasn't spoilt anything for me.
Me and my brother Sunny never had the enthusiasm of visiting a film set or going to a screening or attending parties and meeting actors.
On a film set, it's important to be good at your work, but it's also important to be a compassionate and understanding human being.
