If there is an actor in Bollywood whose performances have revealed a wealth of emotions, frequently understated and subtle but carrying the kind of impact that could possibly change the viewer's life, it has to be Vikrant Massey.?
There is quite no one like him in Hindi cinema. What Vikrant Massey has come to stand for after spending almost 17 years in the world of television and now Bollywood is that even talent, perseverance, merit, and a fabulous understanding of content can pay off too. And they have. Massey is truly having more than what most would call a 'moment'. In less than a month, he has had three full feature film releases:?Cargo,?Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare,?and?Ginny Weds Sunny. He's literally taken over our?Netflix?homepage that we are now calling it 'Vikflix' and we aren't complaining. But for getting one more reason to be in complete awe of Massey, it's important to revisit how he got here.?
At the age of seven when most of us lived in their own dream-land and did not see more to life than eating and napping, Vikrant Massey knew at the age of seven that he wanted to be a Bollywood actor.?
¡°Like every other Bombay boy, I was raised in all kinds of cinema. I remember when?Baazigar?released, I was that weird kid who'd stuff a beetroot in his mouth and walk about screaming, 'Madan Chopra?aayega, sailaab aayega!'" Vikrant Massey told TOI.?
What most don't know about Vikrant Massey is that he has been hustling since he was 16. His debut television show Kahaan Hoo Main was not all that great but will always be memorable because it gave us him. After his earnest display of talent in more daily soaps such?as Dharam Veer, Balika Vadhu, Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo, and Qubool Hai, soon Massey would be ready to foray into the world of films without any god-father or any casting agent as his best friend.?
It was back in 2013, that Massey landed his first Hindi film release with Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera. His character Devdas in the film as a supporting actor to Ranveer Singh was supremely charming that even when he dies, you miss him. While he was exceptionally brilliant, Lootera didn't get him more work. It did get him noticed which landed him with a small part in Zoya Akhtar's extravagant family drama Dil Dhadakne Do.?
So what if he wasn't getting films? Vikrant Massey wasn't going to waste his talent waiting around. He was quick to shift to web-series and that translated into his true success with hit shows like Criminal Justice and as Bablu Pandit in Mirzapur. Fast track to 2020, with every exceptional performance, Vikrant Massey was the male-lead in Meghna Gulzar's?Chhapaak opposite Deepika Padukone. And that marked another beginning for him.?
Stereotypically, most actors start with small parts, work their way up to lead roles, and once they are established, they don't settle for anything less. And this is exactly where Vikrant Massey stands apart.?
Massey proudly keeps switching between lead roles to smaller parts in films to sometimes special appearances that might just have one dialogue to recite. For instance, in 2019, Massey was the lead in Hotstar's Criminal Justice and ALT Balaji's Broken But Beautiful. But then you see him make a small appearance in Zoya Akhtar's Made In Heaven too. Let's not forget he is doing all of this with three feature films lined up that have now all released on Netflix.?
That's the mark of not just a bonafide actor but the reason for Massey's success too- the fact that he just wants to act. Other actors should certainly follow his cue, it's the kind of success worth achieving.?